


Dimension Hopping for Dummies: A Wintershock Adventure

by Larilyn



Series: Once Upon A Dream [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Awesome Darcy Lewis, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes-centric, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Darcy Lewis-centric, F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-03-07 02:13:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 50,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18863653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larilyn/pseuds/Larilyn
Summary: They fell in love in the Soul Stone. A year later they found each other again. Now Darcy and Bucky face another challenge that may change the world forever.





	1. Undermined

**Author's Note:**

> According to Marvel's Wiki the MCU is Earth 199999. Just an FYI.

 

Universe 199999

2018

New York City

 

Monica Rappaccini walked through the desolation and destruction left in the wake of the event. Once, the fact that aliens had even existed was a revelation. Then the portal opened over New York. And now, an alien invader had wiped out half of all the living things on the planet.

The Avengers had failed. Miserably.

One year later and there was still no sign that they were even fighting to bring the world back. Monica was growing impatient. This was not a world where the unimpeded advancement of science would be at the forefront. She would just have to find another world to bend to her will.

  

Universe 199998

2019

New York City

 

“No. No way, babe. I'm not putting my bridesmaids in orange,” Darcy argued, sipping on her hot chocolate.

Bucky reached forward and wiped away the whipped cream that had found its way onto her nose. “It's the color of the soul stone, where we met...”

“Orange is a gross color. I vote no.” Darcy stuck out her lower lip and pouted, “Can't we just go down to City Hall?”

“Sure, Sassy. You go ahead and tell Jane that she isn't going to be a maid of honor. While you're at it, tell Pepper that she can't plan the social event of the season.” 

“They'd pretty much freak.” She gave him a playful kick under the table, “I did too good a job with your PR. If you weren't the most popular Avenger we could sneak off together and elope.” 

“I'm not the most popular...” Bucky began to argue but then he glanced around the coffee shop and noticed that most of the people were sneaking glances and grins their way. 

“But no....” Darcy ranted, “you have to be all super hot and sweet and perfect and the world loves an underdog and everyone loves a love story and all that.” 

“You're exhausting, sweetheart,” Bucky complained with a smile as he used her scarf to gently pull her forward into a kiss. He pretended to ignore the soft “aww” noise that most of the women in the coffee shop made in response. 

He couldn't ignore the next sound. A thundering earthquake shook the walls and shattered the glass. 

Instinctively, Bucky grabbed Darcy and dove under the table, shielding her with his body until the world stopped shaking. 

“You hurt?” he asked, checking every inch of her face to be sure. 

“Not hurt. You?” 

He shook his head and gestured for her to wait there. He rose to what remained of the window and looked out. A strange machine with a drill on the front had come up from the concrete and rested on the street. 

“What is that?” Darcy asked as she peered out from behind him. 

“I told you to stay back, Darce.” 

“You did not.”

 “It was implied.”

Darcy wasn't able to make one of her snappy comebacks because the pilot of the vehicle started yelling out over a loudspeaker, “Behold the Underminer! I'm always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me! I hereby declare war on peace and happiness! Soon, all will tremble before me!” 

Bucky closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face, “Oh for cryin' out loud...” 

“Gotta go to work?” Darcy asked with a smile. 

“Gotta go to work.” He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and commanded, “Stay safe, Sassy.” 

“Have fun, babe. Love you.” 

He dashed down the street but yelled back, “I love you, too.” 

Bucky tried to push his worry for Darcy to the back of his mind so he could focus on the villain and the machine in front of him. He started to scale the vehicle to get to the man calling himself the 'Underminer' when the machine revved up, lurched forward, and dived through the concrete back into the ground. 

A voice rang out over his comms as Bucky held on for dear life. “Barnes? It's May. You okay? There was an event near your location.” 

“Lunatic who calls himself the Underminer.” 

“Need some help?” 

“Yeah. Can you activate Beta team?” 

“Beta? You don't want your own team?” 

“Well. Seeing as I'm underground, I'm thinking Birdbrain is gonna be a little useless. I don't particularly need a sharpshooter, and this guy has already quaked enough of the city.” 

“I'll get Cap's team to you as soon as possible Barnes. Hang on.”

  

* * *

 

Darcy breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Cap, Nat and Hope descend into the hole that the Underminer had created. Bucky had backup now. He'd be okay. 

“Be careful, babe,” she said under her breath. 

Next to her, a stunningly exotic looking woman said, “Are those really the Avengers?” 

“Some of them,” Darcy smiled. “Captain Rogers and Agents Romanoff and Van Dyne. And of course, Agent Barnes.” 

“Barnes...” the woman was clearly thinking about something. “That was the Winter Soldier?” 

“No one calls him that anymore. It's just Agent Barnes.” Darcy noted the woman's accent and surmised, “You're not from around here, are you?” 

“No, I'm not,” She extended her hand, “Monica Rappaccini.” 

“Darcy Lewis, nice to meet ya.” 

“Oh my god,” a petite blonde approached, “You really are Darcy Lewis! And that was Bucky Barnes! Oh my god, I'm such a big fan.” 

Soon, other women flocked around Darcy, and Monica Rappaccini was pushed to the side.

 

* * *

 

 

He was different here, Monica noted. In her world, Barnes was still a mysterious figure. Framed for the bombing at the UN. On the run with Captain America, and then nothing. Rumor was that he was in Wakanda. Possibly one of the many who were erased in the event. 

Here he was beloved by the people. Even his appearance was one of a man with nothing to hide: his hair was short, but tousled on top. His left arm looked like normal flesh. Even his face was clean-shaven. And his demeanor was one of a man in love. 

The woman; Darcy Lewis. She may be Monica's way to get to the Avengers. After all, they had to be stopped, no matter what world she was in.

 

 

 


	2. Connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's only the second chapter and I've already descended into smut...

 

Universe 199998

Now

New York 

Monica closed the laptop with a frustrated sigh. 

Perhaps she had made a horrible mistake in choosing this world. The Avengers here were very cohesive. Organized. They would make things more difficult for her. 

She wasn't entirely sure where the point of divergence happened from her world to this one but she suspected it had something to do with Clint Barton. In her world, he had taken house arrest after violating the Sokovia Accords. Here, he had gone on the run with Rogers and the others. There were two other names that made her pause. Pietro Maximoff had been killed in Sokovia in her world. Here he was alive and well. And Katherine Bishop...she was a complete enigma to Monica. 

According to her research, Barton had taken Bishop under his wing after she had been kidnapped for ransom. She was in Wakanda for the fight against Thanos, and according to accounts she and Barton had simultaneously fired the killing blow. Barnes and Rogers removed the gauntlet from Thanos before he was able to erase half of all life. The snap didn't happen. 

At least that was what was reported. 

Universe 199998

Then

Wakanda  

“ _I missed.” Clint sat down hard on the ground. “I can't believe I missed.”_  

_Thanos had swatted away Clint's arrow as if it had been nothing._  

_Thor hit Thanos in the chest with Stormbreaker._  

_Then... the snap._  

_Clint held the dust of Kate Bishop in his hand. “I missed.”_  

“ _Clint...” Natasha's voice was a husk of itself, “Clint?”_  

“ _Who else is gone?” he asked._  

“ _Barnes. Vision. T'challa. Sam. And...Wanda.”_  

_Clint started gathering the ashes in his hand. “I can't leave her here. I can't leave Wanda here either. We have to do something! We have to undo this! How do we undo this?”_  

_Natasha sank to the ground next to her friend. “I don't know.”_  

Universe 199998

Now

New York 

Natasha was filthy. And she looked really annoyed. No one in their right minds would dare laugh at her. No one but Darcy. 

“Don't,” Nat warned, pointing at her friend. “Don't laugh.” 

Darcy snorted a laugh out her nose. 

“I can kill you with my pinky finger, you know.” 

Darcy tried to stifle a laugh and ended up snorting again. “Sorry. But...you're usually so coiffed. And your hair... it's going...” Darcy gestured up and then to the side. Nat looked like someone had taken a glob of mud, put it on a cow's tongue, and let the cow style her hair with it. 

“I can't believe you made me go to the press conference like this.” 

Darcy shrugged, “A free and independent press is the bedrock of our democracy, Nat.” She handed Natasha a cup of coffee and they settled into one of the couches in the common area. 

Natasha looked enviously over at Hope, who was sipping her own coffee and looked spotless. “I hate you, Van Dyne.” 

“Not my fault that the dirt particles are too big to stick to my suit when I'm shrunk.” Hope nudged Darcy. “You should see the boys. They're filthy. It's kind of adorable.” 

“Where are the boys?” Darcy asked. She had had time to change into professional garb and conduct a quick press conference in the lobby of the Tower, but she still hadn't seen Bucky or Steve. 

“Steve took the 'Underminer' to the detention facility with May. And Barnes is getting yelled at.” 

“By who? And does he deserve it?” Darcy ticked off the questions with her fingers. 

“By Charlie Team. And...” Hope made a little see-saw motion with her hand. 

“It was a tactical decision,” Nat reasoned. “We didn't bring Rhodey. You don't hear him pitching a fit.” 

“Thank you!” Bucky yelled as he came into the room, followed by his team. “Finally, someone is being reasonable.” 

“Oh. Now we're unreasonable?” Sam asked with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Daisy and Kate flanked Sam with identical scowls on their faces. 

Darcy started laughing again. Bucky was covered in dirt. There was no part of him from head to toe that wasn't covered in some form of filth He even left a little trail of dirt behind him as he walked. “You look like Pigpen!” She snorted. 

“Oh my god...” Rhodey muttered as he walked into the common area. “You two are filthy! Thank you, for not dragging me underground.” 

“You aren't pissed?” Daisy asked, “That your team went on a mission without you?” 

“Nope. I can't imagine trying to get that much dirt out of my suit.” Rhodey took a bite of his apple and then added, “I'm pissed at Tony for going to California without me.” 

The whole group moaned with annoyance at Rhodey. 

“Now we're gonna hear it,” Sam muttered. 

“Don't get me started!” Kate yelled. “It was my idea! Wasn't it guys?” She looked to her teammates who vaguely nodded. “The whole West Coast Avengers thing? My idea! And who gets to go to California? Tony's team. I mean I'm kind of okay with the fact that YoYo is enjoying the beach. And Pepper. I mean she needs to be pampered considering she's super pregnant. But do you really think Scott and Clint will appreciate it? No! Meanwhile, I'm freezing my ass off in New York! And I have to walk Clint's dog in this frigid ass weather!” 

While Kate was mid-rant, Natasha slunk out of the room. 

Rhodey leaned over to Darcy and muttered, “Got her off Barnes's back. Go get him cleaned up.” 

“Thanks, Rhodey.” 

Darcy got up and took Bucky's hand, leading him out of the common room while Kate continued to bemoan her lack of a tan. 

She giggled as she led him down the hall to the elevator, feeling a bit like a school girl, both of them half running away from the common room. 

They ran past Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, who scolded, “James, you're filthy! Are you going to sweep up the mess you're making?” 

Then, as God was her witness, Bucky giggled too as he sped up and pulled her down the hallway. “Nope!” he called back. 

As soon as they were in the elevator, Bucky pinned her against the wall and kissed her thoroughly, leaving dirty hand prints around her waist. His hand crept up to cup her breast through her white blouse. 

“Oops,” he muttered against her neck, “got ya dirty, sweetheart.” 

“Mmm. Don't care.” 

The elevator dinged and they jumped apart. A Steve-shaped blob of dirt and drying mud stood in front of them. 

“Looking good, Cap.” Darcy fought against descending into another fit of giggles. 

Steve mock scowled and greeted, “Jerk. Mrs. Jerk. Interesting design on your shirt, Darce.” 

He then innocently turned to face the doors, leaving Bucky to return his own mock scowl to Steve's back. 

Darcy looked down to see a big handprint right over her right breast. “Aw, babe! This is dry clean!” 

Steve let out a little snort of amusement. Bucky looked as if he was going to say something to Steve in response but he was interrupted by the ding of Steve's text alert. 

Steve lifted his phone to look, turned bright red and immediately put it down. 

Darcy exclaimed, “There's a naked Natasha on that phone! She's sending you nude selfies? For shame, Captain America. For shame!” 

“She was just..showing me how dirty the water got...from...from.. the mud...” Steve stammered. 

The elevator opened at Darcy and Bucky's floor. As they exited, hand in hand, Bucky teased, “Sure, punk, sure.” 

“Captain America is a dirty, dirty, perv,” Darcy sighed in disappointment. 

“I hate you both,” Steve said as the doors closed. 

“Love you too, Stevie,” Darcy shot back. 

Bucky wrapped his arms around Darcy's back and nuzzled her neck, as she unlocked the door. 

“Post mission nookie?” she asked. 

“Yes, please.” 

“You are super predictable, babe.” They stumbled through the door together and Darcy pushed him against it as it closed. “If you think I'm letting you traipse through our apartment like that, you're totally crazy. Strip, Agent. I'll go warm up the shower.” 

Bucky grabbed her arm and pulled her back hard against his chest. “Shower's too far.” 

“Bucky....you're filthy.” She protested between desperate kisses. 

“Mmm hmm,” he replied, yanking her blouse out from the waistband of her shirt and sliding his hands up her ribs. What normally would have felt wonderful was marred by the dirt on his fingers, that felt like sandpaper on her skin. 

She backed away with a little, “eep” and raised a warning finger. “Gritty, grimy, hands. No nookie until you're clean.” She dusted the dirt off her skin and watched it drift down to the floor. She put her hands on her hips and commanded, “Take. Off. Your. Clothes.” 

Bucky bit his lower lip and looked her up and down. “Yes, ma'am.” 

“I'll meet you in the shower, Agent Barnes.” Darcy kicked off her shoes and added a little sway to her walk as she headed towards the bathroom. She unbuttoned her blouse as she walked. With a little saucy grin, she looked over her shoulder and dropped it to the ground. 

“Jesus, Sassy.” 

“Hurry up, Agent. I don't like to be kept waiting.” 

Darcy laughed at the low growl and the sound of Bucky's shirt hitting the floor. 

She had just stepped into the shower when he jumped in behind her. “All right, love. I'm at your mercy.” 

He was adorable, standing there covered in dried mud with his arms open. She almost let him wrap her up in them. Almost. 

“Get your Pigpen self under the shower head and wash your hair. I'll work on the rest of you.” 

He snickered at that. 

“I wasn't kidding babe, you aren't getting any action until I can actually see some skin under all of this grime.” 

Darcy started with his face, using the bath sponge to scrub away the dried grime. Then she worked around his ears and neck. He stepped back farther under the shower head to rinse the dirt and soap away. “There he is! Hi handsome.” 

“I feel like a little kid, with you washing behind my ears like that.” 

“Babe, trust me, you don't look like a little kid.” She moved the sponge down his chest, gently scrubbing, further and further down. She watched his arousal become more and more evident until, with a growl, he pulled her in tight. 

“Hey! I'm not done with you yet, Mister.” 

“I haven't even gotten started with you.” 

He turned her in his arms, her back to his chest. His hands roamed down her sides, fingers teasing the sides of her breasts and then her ribs. His lips found the pulse point in her neck. One hand drifted up to cup her breast while the other drifted down to tease open her folds. Darcy arched her back, pressing her hips and shoulders back. Darcy closed her eyes to close out everything but the sound of Bucky's breath in her ear and the feeling of his fingers, pleasuring her. For several minutes that was all that she felt and heard. Until he muttered, “Damn it. You got hurt.” 

“What?” Darcy couldn't think straight, with his middle finger sliding back and forth across the sensitive bundle of nerves at her core. 

“You have a little cut on your neck. He hurt you.” 

“I'm fine,” she muttered. 

“It pisses me off.” 

“I'm...yes, right there, babe...fine.” 

“No one hurts you. You're mine. ” He drew out that last word in a possessive growl, while he entered her. Darcy's thighs quivered, and the world became hot and fuzzy as she climaxed. Bucky kept her upright, holding her body tight against him as worked himself deep into her. “You're mine,” he reminded her. “My love, my soulmate, my wife.” 

“Yesssss....” Darcy hissed out, as she came again. He cried out against her neck, giving himself over to his climax as well. 

She wanted to collapse to the floor of the shower, as her legs gave way again. Bucky picked her up in a bridal carry and settled her on their bed. 

“Round two?” She smiled dazedly up at him. 

“Yep.” 

“So predictable.” 

“Oh, I'm predictable, am I?” he grinned as he started to tickle her. 

She giggled, playfully slapping his hands away. “Stop it, you!” 

Bucky shook the water out of his hair, sending droplets flying. Darcy covered her face and squealed. 

He took one hand away from her face and pinned it above her head. Bucky was looking down at her with a wide smile. She lifted her other hand off her face and shook a finger at him. “You're such a shit, Bucky Barnes.” 

He bobbed his head forward and captured that finger in his mouth, sucked on it and then released it with a pop. 

“But you love it, don't you Darce?” 

“I suppose I do.” 

Making love through laughter was one of Darcy's favorite things. The fact that it was with this man. The one she loved to the very core of her soul, made it even better. 

 

* * *

 

Monica watched the televised press conference with interest. 

The woman, Darcy Lewis, she had an easy banter with the reporters. Her friendly, open nature was a way in. 

Yes. 

She'd work nicely.

 


	3. Dogged

“Ms. Lewis. It is necessary for you to wake up. Agent Barnes is in distress.” Friday's command woke Darcy with a start.

Bucky was shaking his head in his sleep, letting out small whimpers. His hair was soaked with sweat and his skin was sickly pale. His fists were clenched around the sheets, knuckles white.

“Babe, you're safe,” she soothed, curling herself around him, stroking his hair and placing feathery kisses across his forehead. “You're in the Avengers Tower. You're safe in our bed.”

He moaned a bit and shook his head some more. “I can't.”

“Bucky, you're with me. You're safe.”

He thrashed out, knocking her hand away, “No!”

Most of the time, Darcy could soothe Bucky out of his nightmare without actually waking him, redirecting him to take control of his dream.

“Friday, raise the lights slowly.”

“Yes, Ms. Lewis. Would you like me to fetch any of the others, just in case?”

“How long has he been like this?”

“His heart rate became elevated precisely 4 minutes and 32 seconds ago. I have been attempting to wake you for 3 minutes, but you were in a deep sleep.”

“Damn it,” Darcy muttered. After five minutes of a nightmare, there was no way Darcy would be able to redirect him back to sleep. She had to wake him. And waking him abruptly didn't always go so well. “One more try,” she said, more to herself than to Friday.

“Bucky, it's Darcy. You don't have to do what they're telling you to do. You can say no.”

His brow furrowed at that. “Just an asset...” he murmured.

“No, babe. You're not the asset anymore. You're my Bucky.”

He opened his mouth to protest but no words came out. Darcy placed a soft kiss on his lower lip. “You don't belong to anyone but me. And I'm yours.”

“Yours,” he breathed out, rolling over and pinning Darcy under his body, his leg tossed over hers and his head nestled between her breasts. His breathing evened out as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

“Aw, babe, what if I have to pee?” Darcy muttered.

“Would you like me to lower the lights, Ms. Lewis?” Friday asked.

“Yeah. Thanks, Friday.”

 

* * *

 

“Omelets?” Darcy asked as she entered the kitchen, “To what do I owe this honor?”

Bucky handed her a cup of coffee and gave a little shrug. “Do I have to have a reason to spoil you?”

“Yes. Otherwise, I'll think you're up to something.”

“I'm just saying thank you for last night.”

“For the mind-blowing sex? Believe me, it was my pleasure.”

“The nightmare, Darce.”

Darcy shrugged, “You don't have to thank me for that. Like, ever.”

He slid an omelet onto a waiting plate and placed it in front of her, kissing the top of her head as he sat it down. “Gonna thank you anyway.”

“Have you thought about Sam's suggestion?”

“What, getting a dog? No.”

“Why not? He thinks a dog would notice a bad dream way before Friday does.”

Bucky let out a quiet humph-like noise, and a mumble that sounded like, “I'll think about it.” Louder, he asked, “Got a lot of work this morning?”

“Little bit. But I took the afternoon off, barring some unexpected supervillain attack. Want to meet for lunch?”

“Meet you here at noon?”

“If we meet here are we actually gonna eat?”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I'm sure I will.”

“Food?” she clarified with a shake of her head.

“Probably not,” he admitted with a grin.

 

* * *

 

Bucky walked into the common area where Darcy was meeting him and was greeted by the sight of Fitz, Daisy, and Jemma sitting on the couch with Sam perched behind them. Steve was lounging in a nearby armchair. And on the floor, Natasha was cuddling with Lucky, Barton's one-eyed lab mix. There was no conversation. No television. Just all of them staring into one of the conference room windows, munching on popcorn.

“What are we watching?” Bucky asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“The Barton children are having a wee spat.” Fitz nodded toward the conference room where Kate was pacing and wildly gesticulating at Pietro, who was projected on the screen.

“Fitz. Please tell me you guys aren't eating popcorn while you watch Kate and Piet fight.”

“Want some?”

Bucky hated himself a little, but took a handful and sat down between Fitz and Daisy. “What are they fighting about?”

“Well,” Steve answered, “Most likely, they are fighting over the fact that Lucky ate Kate's favorite pair of shoes. And Kate wants Pietro to take him to the farm.”

Delta team, which included Vision and the Maximoff twins as well as Bobbie and Hunter, were currently on sabbatical. The two couples were backpacking through Europe. Pietro had retreated to the quiet of the farm that Clint owned upstate.

“It might appear that way,” Sam argued, leaning over the couch and grabbing a handful of popcorn. “but this has unresolved sexual tension written all over it.”

“My lip reading skills aren't perfect,” Daisy admitted, “but I think she called him a 'jackholio'.”

“That's not even a word,” Bucky said.

“In Kate-land it is,” Nat shrugged.

“Oh my god,” Jemma scolded. “Are we adults here? Or not?”

“Not,” Sam, Nat, and Daisy said simultaneously.

“If we're going to do this, at least let's do it right.” Jemma reached for the remote to turn on the audio in the conference room.

“Isn't that an invasion of their privacy, dear?” Fitz asked.

“Is it?”

“Jemma,” Steve scolded.

“Oh, all right. I can't help it. I have a curious mind.”

“She's coming out. Look natural,” Sam advised.

Fitz took another handful of popcorn and handed the bucket over to Bucky. They did not look natural.

At all.

“Can you even believe him?” Kate asked, as she came out of the conference room, fully aware and not giving a damn, that they had been watching her. “Poor Lucky. His person didn't take him to California. And then Pietro won't take him to the farm, his favorite place in the world. Poor poor Lucky.”

“Yeah. Poor abused pooch,” Steve commented acerbically as he glanced down at the dog. Lucky was upside down with all four feet in the air. His tongue was lolling out of the side of his mouth. Natasha was rubbing his belly and when she got to a certain spot, he kicked one hind leg with joy.

“We should get a dog,” Natasha said to Steve.

Both he and Bucky immediately said, “No.”

“What's it to you, Barnes?” Natasha scowled.

“Because if you get a dog, Darcy will want a dog. And she's already been asking for one.”

“So get her a dog,” Natasha said.

“We're getting a dog?” Darcy asked as she bounded into the room.

Bucky gave Natasha the deepest scowl he could muster. She beamed back at him.

“Katie needs a break from pooch duty,” Bucky said. “You think you could take him for a walk, Sassy?”

“Oh my gosh, I'd love too!” She called Lucky to her and he rose with a doggie groan but shuffled her way with a silly doggie smile. “Let's go for walkies puppers!”

Over her shoulder, she asked, “Babe? You coming?”

“Nah. I'll leave you two alone.”

“Okey dokey, love you!”

“Love you too.”

“Buck...” Steve asked. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing. Just thinking, a dog that big, eating the way he does, maybe if Darcy cleans up after him just once, the idea of having one won't be as appealing.”

“You're rather diabolical, James,” Jemma accused.

“I prefer to think of it as strategic.”

“Mmm hmm,” Sam muttered, and then announced, “Countdown starts now. I have 60 seconds. Any takers?”

“Twenty-five,” Steve said.

“Ninety,” Natasha offered.

“Three minutes,” Kate said.

“No way in hell, Katie-Kate. I'm going with 30 seconds,” Daisy bid.

“What are you idiots talking about?” Bucky asked, genuinely puzzled.

“One minute ten,” Jemma piped up.

“Whatever,” Bucky shrugged and got up. “I probably should go with Darcy.”

“The winner and still the champ, Captain Rogers with an impressive showing,” Sam showed Steve his watch.

“Hand over the cash, losers.”

“Did you jerks bet on how long it would take me to follow Darcy?”

“You're a tad overprotective,” Fitz explained.

“She's a high profile civilian with no powers. Forgive me if I worry,” he explained as he walked towards the elevator.

“She has an ICER in her purse, Barnes,” Natasha scolded.

“And a Tazer,” Daisy added.

“And now, she's gonna have a super soldier on her arm. Jerks.” But Bucky smiled as the elevator closed.

 

* * *

 

Monica Rappaccini played it cool when she saw Darcy Lewis come out of the Avengers Tower with a large mutt in tow. She had gotten the woman to recognize her and chatted casually about how she was in New York job hunting, dropping hints about her many degrees and experience. She wasn't disappointed when Darcy advised her to drop off a resume with the front desk for Jemma Simmons. She would have gotten farther with her if the Winter Soldier hadn't come barreling out of the Tower like an overprotective caveman.

She hoped he wasn't going to be a problem. She'd hate to have to eliminate him when she had such plans for him.

Now she had another thing to take care of, she would have to kill her counterpart in this universe.


	4. Manipulated

Bucky had his adversary caught in a staredown.

“Let me explain this one more time...the woman is mine.”

His foe stared unblinkingly at him.

“The bed is mine.” He paused for emphasis. “And this sandwich is mine.”

Lucky looked at the sandwich and then at Bucky with his one big brown eye. Back and forth, sandwich, Bucky, sandwich, Bucky.

“Stop that.”

Sandwich, Bucky. 

“It's not gonna work.” 

Sandwich, Bucky.

“Fine, but don't tell Darcy.” Bucky pulled off a chunk of his sandwich and handed it to the dog, who wolfed it down in one big gulp.

“Ahem,” it came from behind him.

Bucky smiled a bit but scolded, “You knew she was behind me, didn't you? You set me up. Traitor.”

“Speaking of things that didn't work...I still want a dog.”

“We have a dog...” he gestured toward Lucky.

“We don't get to keep him. He's Clint's dog.”

“And yet, it's my food he eats, my wife he cuddles and my side of the bed that he steals.”

“Poor Bucky Bear,” she lowered herself to sit in his lap and kissed his cheek. “Have I been neglecting you?”

Bucky stuck his lower lip out, cast his eyes down and looked up at her through his lashes. He nodded slowly. “It's been the worst month, ever.”

“Clint will be back tonight. Now...Gimme that lip,” Darcy teased. She took his face in her hands and kissed him sweetly. Just as he started to deepen it, Lucky joined in, licking their faces.

“Stupid dog!” Bucky protested.

He pretended to be annoyed by Darcy's peals of laughter.

* * *

 

“So, let's get these press releases out right away. And schedule that sit-down between Daisy and ABC news,” Darcy instructed her assistant, who nodded and said thanks before he left.

There was a knock on her doorframe.

“Monica!” Darcy greeted with a smile. “How are things up in bio-engineering? Jemma treating you all right?”

“Oh, she's wonderful. I cannot thank you enough for helping me get on here.”

“Don't thank me. You're the one with four degrees and tons of philanthropy in her resume. We're lucky to have you.”

“Well, I would like to thank you anyway. Perhaps lunch?”

“I would love to, but I can't today. Bucky is taking me somewhere, he's being way mysterious about it too. But I'm actually meeting him up in mechanical engineering. Want to see what they're doing up there? It's pretty cool.”

“Yes, I would love to.” Monica fell into step with Darcy and asked, seemingly innocently, “I'm surprised I haven't seen more of the Avengers around.”

“Fangirl, huh? Lemme guess... Banner?”

“I don't understand.”

“Sorry. Just figured, with your education, Banner would be your favorite. He doesn't do field work much anymore. He prefers the lab.”

“And the others? Iron Man? Captain America?”

“You'll see Steve around. He's at the compound upstate right now. Each team does three months out west, the rest of the time we're either here or at the compound. Plus everyone gets a 6-week sabbatical, where they're only brought in for major stuff.”

“Like the Underminer?”

“The guy who got his supervillain identity from a Pixar movie? No. Way not major. Honestly, Bucky and Hope could have taken him down together without Steve and Nat.”

“And Thor?”

“Thor is not on the planet. He, Captain Marvel and the Guardians are doing the intergalactic thing. Hopefully, they'll come back pretty soon. Because I miss my gal pal.”

“Gal Pal?”

“Jane Foster. My best friend. She's up there with them now. So is Agent Hill. She and Carol have a thing.”

“And you are engaged to Agent Barnes?”

“He's my guy,” Darcy said with a smile.

“You love him very much.”

“More than I can even begin to say.”

As they had talked, they had taken the elevator up to Mechanical Engineering. Through the safety glass, they could see Bucky playing a game of Connect 4 with Emma, one of Bucky's favorites of Fitz's patients, while Fitz was working on the child's prosthetic arm.

“I mean,” Darcy said, “Look at him.”

The two women were interrupted by a stammer, “Hello, Miss Lewis. I...I mean Ms. Lewis.”

Darcy tensed slightly. Fitz's lab tech had a creepy kind of crush on her. Still, she tried really hard to be nice. “Darcy,” she corrected.

“Right. Darcy. Sorry.”

“It's okay George.” Darcy introduced, “George Tarleton, meet Monica Rappaccini. Monica just started in bio-chem with Dr. Simmons.”

“Nice to meet you,” George said, but he kept his eyes on Darcy. Every time she came up to the lab he stood too close, watched her too closely. Darcy chalked it up to George being socially awkward but it was still a bit disconcerting. Enough so that she would avoid the lab, even though it meant not getting to watch Bucky play with the kids that came to see Fitz for their prosthetics.

Emma caught a glimpse of Darcy through the window and wildly gestured for her to join them.

“Come on, you have to meet this kid,” Darcy looped her arm through Monica's and escorted her inside. Thankfully, George didn't join them, instead, he attended to whatever errand Fitz had set him on.

* * *

 

“You want me to talk to him?” Bucky asked as he and Darcy walked arm and arm down the street.

“You? Talk to George? Poor dude would pee his pants.”

Bucky chuckled, “Yeah, I'd scare him to death. I meant, talk to Fitz. He's the guy's boss, isn't he?”

“He hasn't really done anything to warrant a talking to. He's just... I don't know.” Darcy shrugged and then leaned into Bucky a bit. “I don't want to talk about him anyway. Where are we going?”

“I told you, it's a surprise.”

“You know how I feel about surprises.”

“You claim to hate them, but you really love them?”

“Can I at least get a hint?”

“Nope. Because we're here.”

* * *

 

“That's not a dog,” Bucky stated the obvious as they stared at the creature blinking back at them.

“You didn't say 'dog',” the shelter volunteer smiled, “You said not 'yippy'. And your fiancee said, 'adorably misunderstood'. Grumpus fit the bill. I thought it was worth a try.”

The black and tan cat stared back at him.

“She's our longest shelter resident. Tortoiseshell cats are notoriously difficult to place.”

“Why?” Darcy asked.

“They have a reputation for being difficult. It's a wives tale, really. They're just misunderstood. Plus, she's not a kitten and she's not overly demonstrative.”

The cat sat at the back of the cage slowly blinking at Bucky.

"She's not mean. She's just...” The volunteer shrugged and then offered, “I can show you some dogs now. We've got a bunch of lab mix puppies that are very cute.”

The cat stretched, yawned and then came to the front of the cage and placed the top of her head against Bucky's bicep. She began to purr.

“Unbelievable,” the volunteer said. “She likes you. She actually likes you.”

The cat pushed her head harder into Bucky's arm. Tentatively, he reached over and started scratching her ear. She flopped onto her back and looked up at him lovingly.

“Babe? Are we getting a cat?”

“No. No, of course not. We're getting a dog. We came for a dog....she's nice though.”

* * *

 

Monica settled into her counterpart's home office and began drawing up a blueprint.

After Darcy had left the mechanical engineering lab, Monica chatted up George Tarleton. He was going to be easily manipulated. He'd work nicely as her subject, but first, she needed him to steal a few things for her.

In universe 199999, her counterpart's body lay in a dump. She didn't feel bad about eliminating her and shoving her through an inter-dimensional portal. The woman was a goody-goody with no sense of ambition. Monica couldn't stand that they wore the same face. She deserved to die.

* * *

 

A few blocks away, the cat formerly known as Grumpus was surveying the New York skyline from her new hammock attached to a window in Avengers Tower. One of her new humans was assembling a floor to ceiling cat tree. The other was setting up a little window garden with catnip and cat grass in it.

She'd been waiting for them for a long time.

Now, she had a job to do. Protect them at all costs.

 

 


	5. Projected

Universe 199998

Now

New York

Stephen Strange sat up in bed with a gasp. As he sat he could feel beads of sweat race down his torso.

The nightmarish vision of an alternate future had assaulted him in his sleep. It was a future full of fire and pain. A world where his friends were tortured. One friend in particular... He shut his eyes against the unbidden images.

Next to him, Christine Palmer stirred. “Stephen? Are you okay?”

He took a few deep, centering breaths and laid back down, adjusting his features to their usual calm. “Yes. I'm fine, Christine.”

Stephen looked over at her and did not miss the 'I'm not buying that' look she was giving him. She knew him too well.

Stephen took her hand and held it over his heart. It was hard for him to admit his feelings. Sometimes it was better to show her. She could feel his heart racing. She knew that he was afraid. So he didn't have to explain. But he wanted to share what he saw. Not because he wanted her to share the burden, but because she would want him to let her.

Now, where to start?

“I've told you about Titan, haven't I?”

Universe 199998

Then

Titan

_Strange watched as the blur crossed Thanos's path, distracting him from his battle of wills with Wanda Maximoff._

_The distraction was just long enough for not one, but two arrows to penetrate his eyes. One came from the left, from Barton and it entered his right eye. The other came from the right, from Bishop into his left eye. They crossed each other with beautiful symmetry right before the mad titan screamed and fell to his knees._

_Thanos raised his hand, even in the throes of death, and without Vision's stone, he intended to carry out his plan. But two super-soldiers descended upon him and pulled the gauntlet from his hand before he could snap his fingers._

_The world was as it should be. Those that had been gone, were back, unaware for now, that for an entire year they had been living inside an infinity stone. They only felt a vague sense of dizziness for a millisecond. This was the solution. The best hope for defeating Thanos._

“What was that?”

Strange recognized the voice as Peter Parker's as his awareness adjusted to the present. “I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.”

“How many did you see?” Quill asked.

“33 million, 554 thousand 432.”

“And how many times did we win?” Stark asked.

“Two.”

Now

 

“Millions of potential futures, Christine, and I never saw this one. Even with every permutation of every future where Thanos destroyed half the universe, I never saw anything so bleak, so violent, as this vision I received tonight.”

“What are we going to do?”

Stephen smiled at the assumption that Christine would be by his side, no matter what. While living inside the Soul Stone he had realized how empty life was without her.

If he accessed his magic he could see it, their souls winding together like a double helix. Barnes and Lewis were the same. Romanoff and Rogers too. Christine was his soul mate. And he'd never treat her like anything else, ever again.

“I don't know what to do.” He admitted.

“You'll figure it out.” She settled her head on his chest. “After all, you figured out how to stop Thanos.”

“You give me too much credit,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “Stark and Fitz figured out how to stop Thanos.”

“No, Stephen,” She kissed him gently. “It was pretty much you.”

 

Then

 

“This is a fake!” Thanos bellowed as he crushed the green stone.

“They're all fake,” Strange shot back, “The time stone isn't on Titan, jackass.”

Thanos raised the gauntlet, activating it, and backed into a blue smoke-filled portal.

“Did you just call the mad Titan, 'jackass'?” Stark asked, with a bit of admiration in his voice.

“I did.”

“I know a certain super soldier who would like to have a word with you about your language.” Stark patted him on the shoulder.

“Where is the time stone?” Mantis asked.

“I sent it back to Earth with the sling ring. It's probably in Wong's pocket.”

“So we need to get back to Earth, to defend it,” Parker said with enthusiasm.

“How we gonna do that?” Rocket asked grumpily. “Our ship is broken.”

“Then let's get repairs going, come on!”Quill led the group to the Milano, but Strange took Tony's arm.

“Tony,” Strange said quietly, “Wong isn't going to be able to defend the stone for long. And as heroic as the Avengers are... they will lose.”

“Why...?” Stark looked a bit flabbergasted, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because in order to save the future, you have to save someone from the past. You need to save Pietro Maximoff.”

“Are you telling me that one of the ways to stop Thanos is through time travel?” Tony dragged out the words 'time travel' as if they were ridiculous.

“Both ways to stop Thanos involve time travel. This way is much simpler. You need to change one mind about one simple decision. Take Kate Bishop to Sokovia. That's all you have to do.”

“Won't telling me this mess with the timeline somehow?”

“Not telling you would almost ensure the destruction of half of all life in the universe.”

Tony paused and then blinked a few times before admitting, “Good point.”

 

Now

“All I did was give Stark a plan,” Stephen explained, “After that, I was stuck in the Soul Stone, waiting. Trapped in a pocket dimension, unable to affect anything. Powerless.”

“I cannot believe I am saying this, I mean I really can't believe it, but you're being too humble, Stephen.”

“I don't think I've ever been accused of being humble before,” he mused with a grin.

“I doubt it will ever happen again,” she teased. “Let's get some sleep. We'll start working on this new problem tomorrow.”

He listened to her breathing even out as she drifted asleep. Her instruction to go back to sleep was easier said than done. Stephen couldn't stop wondering who had sent him that vision, and why.

 

Universe 199998

Five years from now

 

“Did he.. I mean you...get the message?” Darcy asked, her voice shaking from fear.

She stood guard by the window as Stephen finished the spell, sending what he was seeing right now to himself, five years in the past.

“Yes. I think so.”

“This is so, so bad,” Darcy muttered, holding her cat tightly in her arms.

She had tears running down her face and she couldn't stop herself from peering out from the window of the Sanctum at the devastation in front of them. She couldn't stop looking at the machine that used to be the man she loved.

“Don't look at him,” Strange advised. “Just don't look.”

“I can't seem to stop myself, it's like a nightmare. But it's real.”

“It's not supposed to be. This is not the future that I saw on Titan.”

“Bucky,” she whispered in despair.

“Darcy.” Strange turned her by the shoulders to face him. “This is not our future. We will prevent this. I swear it to you.”

At this, Darcy completely broke down. Strange wrapped her up in his arms. Darcy's cat let out a little squeak of protest at being smashed between them until Strange's cloak patted her on the head.

Darcy felt her body begin to tingle as the next dimension hop began. Maybe, this one would take her home.

 

Universe TRN-700

New York City

Now

“What exactly did you see?” Gwen Stacy asked.

“A vision of another universe, five years in the future. The damage that is done there will rip a hole across the entire multiverse. I need you to prevent it.

“I don't understand,” Gwen Stacy said, “You can multiverse hop, too. Why me?”

Dr. Stephen Strange explained, “My presence may influence the timeline adversely. Yours won't. The fate of the multiverse is in your hands, Miss Stacy. Stop AIM before they destroy us all. ”

“I understand. I won't let you down,” she said somberly. Then she brightened, “Can I bring along a friend?” 

 


	6. Pursued

Two months later

Avengers Tower

 

“What do you think, ladies? Does it suit me?”

Bucky had been summoned to Stark's lab out of the blue and as soon as Stark twirled around to show off his new Iron Man suit, it was clear why.

“Damn it,” Bucky muttered.

“Yep!” Stark exclaimed, “She got out again. I think she likes me.”

Bucky shook his head at the sight of Tony's baby daughter, in a little infant carrier and Bucky's cat sitting side by side on one of the counters.

“Sorry, Stark. I don't know how she keeps doing it,” he explained as he picked up his cat.

“Agent Barnes, you have an incoming message from Ms. Lewis,” Friday's voice rang out from overhead.

“Patch it through.”

Darcy's voice was only slightly panicked. “Babe? I can't find Gretel!”

“She's in Stark's lab again.”

“How does she keep getting out?”

“No idea. But, I'm on my way with her.” A very faint click signaled the disconnection. Bucky turned to apologize to Stark again when Friday interrupted.

“Boss... I have a message...”

“Don't patch her through..don't...”

This message wasn't just audio. Pepper's face appeared on a holo screen and she was clearly not happy. “Tony Stark is our daughter in your lab?”

“I don't know what you're talking about, Pep.”

“You know I can _see_ you right?”

“Oh...well this isn't our baby... “ Tony gestured toward his child, “This is some random baby. I have no idea where she wandered in from. I think Gretel must have brought her in.” Tony looked at Bucky and shrugged.

“I don't want Morgan in your lab. It's dangerous.”

As if on cue, Dum-E knocked over something, causing a loud clatter. In response, Tony cringed, Morgan squealed in delight and Gretel jumped out of Bucky's arms, scampering down the hallway.

“Darcy's gonna kill me.”

“Wanna trade?” Tony asked under his breath.

Bucky took one look at the image of a fuming Pepper on the screen and shook his head, “I'll stick with the wrath of Darcy. Good luck, Tony.”

“Bucky honey,” Pepper called out before he left, “Please tell Darcy that it would help if the two of you would actually pick a date for your wedding... I know you consider yourselves already married, but I don't think it counts if it happened in a pocket dimension.”

Bucky shrugged, “Counts to us.”

“I meant it doesn't count, legally.”

Tony nudged Bucky, “She's a stickler for legalities. It's kind of hot.” This earned Tony a double eye roll, one from Pepper and one from Bucky. “Good luck finding Gretel. I swear that cat has been in more places in the Tower than I have. And I built it.” He turned his attention back to Pepper. “Hey Pep, can we get a cat?”

“No.”

* * *

 

Bucky went one floor up in his search for the cat formerly known as Grumpus. Fitz's labs were another of her favorite places to escape to, especially since it was frequented by the children that Fitz had designed prosthesis for.

George Tarleton came barreling around the corner with an armful of boxes. If it had been anyone but Bucky and maybe Steve, in front of him, Tarleton would have knocked them flat. Bucky simply sidestepped. “Watch it,” he warned.

Tarleton started stammering, “Oh.. I'm sorry Mr. Barnes, sir. I mean Agent Barnes sir. I was just taking these... somewhere. Didn't see you. So sorry.”

Darcy had been right. The guy looked like he was going to pee his pants, just talking to Bucky.

“Have you seen my cat?”

“No. No sir. I could look for her for you. In a bit. As soon as I'm done.”

“No. Don't worry about it. Really.”

The awkward man scrambled away and Bucky started looking around for his wayward feline.

“Why are you hanging from the ceiling, kid?” Bucky asked casually as he glanced upward at Peter.

“George startled me. I don't know why he's here this late.”

“Why are _you_ here this late, kid?”

“Me? I was working on a project for Mr. Stark and he wanted me to,” Peter mumbled the rest, “steal some stuff from Fitz's lab.”

“What was that, Pete?”

“Oh you heard me, don't pretend you didn't,” Peter lowered himself back to the floor. “What are you doing here?”

“Gretel.”

“Again? I can't believe the tracker didn't work.” They had started with a tracker on the cat's collar, but she repeatedly slipped it. Then Peter had designed one that went in like a microchip under her skin. But a few hours later, it shorted out and they had found Gretel hanging out with Dr. Banner.

“I'll believe anything when it comes to that little demon.”

“I like her though,” Peter admitted. “I still don't know how she made it to my apartment in Queens that one time.”

“If she ends up out in California with Stevie's team, then I'm done with her,” Bucky laughed.

“Do you think she would?” Peter looked wide-eyed.

“No, kid. She's just a cat.”

“Red alert,” Friday announced. “We have a hostile outside the Tower. Red Alert. Civilians, please lock yourselves in your residences or a designated safe room. Charlie team, assemble. Alpha team secure the perimeter. ”

“What if I don't want to secure the perimeter?” Tony complained over the loudspeaker. “I wanna play with the bad guy!”

“Kid?” Bucky asked, “Want to suit up?”

“Heck yes!”

 

* * *

 

“What the hell is that?”

Bucky and Peter were nearing roof access when they saw a scampering person across the glass, dressed in what was clearly a superhero costume.

“It appears to be a spider-person of some kind,” Sam answered.

“There are two of you?” He looked up at Peter, who was in his full costume and hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Peter shrugged.

“Don't shrug when you're upside down,” Bucky scolded as he resumed his run.

“Why not?”

“Because I said so,” Bucky added under his breath, “it's funny looking.”

“I think I feel insulted.”

“I didn't say _you_ were funny looking, kid.” Bucky.

“I am not funny looking,” Peter muttered.

“When you swing, your feet go up above your shoulders,” Sam explained over comms, “It's disconcerting.”

“Boys!” Daisy Johnson scolded, also over the comms. “Can we focus on Doctor Octopus?”

“What if the spider-person is working with Dr. Octopus?” Kate Bishop asked.

“Now I'm definitely insulted.”

“I see 'em” Kate called out. “At Daisy's three o'clock.”

“Nope,” Sam disagreed. “He's at Daisy's 9.”

“Dude,” Peter said to Bucky, “Does your team not know how to tell time?”

“Kid...”

“For crying out loud, Sam. She's at three o'clock.”

“She? Bishop, I'm definitely looking at a boy spider-person... Oh hell, there are two of them.”

“Well, duh. Of course, there's two. Me and the mystery spider-person.”

Bucky sighed and repeated, “Kid....”

“Oh. Sam means there are two spider-persons out there. He wasn't counting me. I get it now. My bad.”

“Um, babe?” Darcy's voice broke into Bucky's comms. “I hate to bother you at work, but there appears to be a spider-boy outside our bedroom window.”

“We know, Darce. Not sure if they're working with Doc Ock or not.”

“They're not!” yelled Sam. “Ock's just took a shot at spider-boy.”

Darcy let out a screech just then. “He's been shot! I'm bringing him in.”

“Darcy...” he began to scold.

“Don't argue with me, babe. I'm not letting a spider-kid die on our balcony!”

“Jesus,” Bucky muttered as he and Peter arrived at the flight deck on the roof. “Friday? Can you let me know if my wife does anything else stupid?”

“Please define 'stupid' Agent Barnes.”

“Never mind,” Bucky grumbled as he pulled out his ICERS and settled into the giant slingshot that Peter had created.

“Ready?”

“Yup.”

* * *

 

“Hey, hey, you're ok,” Darcy assured the young costumed hero as he jerked awake.

Gretel the cat snuggled closer toward the boy, purring loudly. Darcy still had no idea where she had been, or how she had gotten back into the apartment during a lockdown. But as soon as she had brought the young man into the apartment, there she was, snuggling up against the unconscious kid, and purring like mad.

“Doc Ock...” he mumbled.

“Being handled. It's okay.”

The kid put his hand quickly up to his face to check for his mask.

“It's still there. I wouldn't take it off without your permission. I'm Darcy.”

“Miles.” He reached up and pulled the mask off to reveal a young face, even younger than Peter Parker. “Miles Morales.”

“Darcy Lewis-Barnes. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Miles hissed as he noticed the wound in his shoulder, that Darcy was gently putting pressure on.

Darcy's explanation was mostly for the kid's distraction. “We got married in a pocket dimension. Turns out that doesn't count as far as the marriage license people are concerned. We're planning a redo. So, whatcha doing crawling up the side of Avengers Tower during a showdown with a supervillain?”

“He's looking for me,” a deep baritone answered.

Darcy turned to see Dr. Stephen Strange step through one of those nifty glowing circles he made with his sling ring.

“What's up, Doc?”

“Not much, Ms. Lewis. Just the destruction of the multiverse.”

“The 'what' now?”

“For crying out loud, Stephen,” Dr. Palmer scolded as she entered the apartment through the portal. “Can't you see we have a patient?”

“How long was he unconscious?” Christine asked as she knelt next to Miles.

“About 30-45 seconds. No seizure activity or continued neuro symptoms. Shoulder wound looks like a through and through.”

“You've become pretty good at being a field medic, Darcy.”

“By necessity, not by choice,” Darcy admitted.

Meanwhile, Dr. Strange was cocking his head from side to side, assessing the situation.

“Christine? Doesn't that cat look like the one that follows Wong around the Sanctum sometimes?”

“Really, Stephen? The cat is your focus? Go outside and help the Avengers. Go!”

“I swear that's the same cat,” he mumbled as he went out a new portal to the outside of the Tower.

 

 

 


	7. Stunned

The next hour was a disaster.

Doctor Octopus had unleashed a legion of robots upon Charlie team.

After fifteen minutes, Alpha team was moved away from the perimeter to engage. Friday summoned Delta team in from the Compound. The Defenders were asked to assist. After thirty minutes, Friday summoned Beta team from California.

Over the next forty-five minutes, the injured began to overwhelm the medical floor.

Darcy watched the activity in medical from Miles's bedside. Every time someone was brought in she had two prayers: that they weren't hurt badly, and that it wasn't Bucky.

Her prayers were only half answered.

Agent Piper had a broken femur. Sam broke an arm. May fractured an ankle. Daisy suffered temporary blindness from an explosion in the quinjet. There were multiple puncture wounds and fractures among other Initiative Agents. More concussions than Darcy could count.

But the worst was Kate.

Bucky carried her in through one of Dr. Strange's portals right after Dr. Octopus had been apprehended. Strange was barking out commands to the nurses and doctors. He shooed Bucky out of the room.

Darcy saw Bucky backpedal out of the room until he hit the opposite wall of the hallway. His hands went up to his face, and she swore that he was going to collapse, right there.

“I'll be right back, kiddo,” she told Miles in a daze.

And suddenly she was holding Bucky. His face was pressed against her neck and he was clinging to her for dear life and then he did slide down the wall, taking Darcy with him. “It's gonna be all right, babe,” she said over and over, hoping to God it was true.

She felt Bucky being hauled to his feet before she registered what was happening.

Clint had a fist full of Bucky's uniform with his right hand and the forearm of his left pinned Bucky against the wall by the neck. “What the hell happened, Barnes? You were supposed to keep her safe! I trusted you to keep her safe.”

“Clint, stop it!” Darcy yelled, trying to pull Clint away. Bucky didn't try to fight back. Clint gave one more hard shove and then pulled Bucky in for a hug.

“M'sorry, Barton. Didn't see what happened. Just saw her fall...” Bucky mumbled.

Clint pulled away from the hug first and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Sorry, Darce.”

“Come here, you idiot.” She hugged Clint tightly.

“Ms. Lewis?” It was Agent Davis, looking apologetic. “Stark asked me to brief you so you can do the press releases. Sorry.”

“It's okay, Davis. It's my job,” Darcy gave Bucky's hand a quick squeeze. “You gonna be okay, babe?”

Bucky gave her a quick nod. The sooner she got her job done, the sooner she could get back to him.

* * *

 

Darcy expected to see Bucky and Clint sitting in the waiting area off of the medical floor. Both men were stone-faced and stoic. One with a dog at his feet and the other with a cat in his lap.

Darcy also expected to see Kate's pseudo-siblings. Piet was sitting more still than she'd ever seen him, while Wanda patted his hand and spoke to him in hushed tones.

She didn't expect to see everyone else.

Daisy was asleep on one of the couches, with her head on Sam's thigh. His arm was in a sling and one side of his face was badly bruised.

Stark was pacing with baby Morgan in his arms while Pepper was engaged in a quiet conversation with Vision.

Davis, Piper, Bobbi, Hunter, Elena, and Mack were sitting around a table, not talking.

Scott was pretending to read a gossip magazine.

And to Darcy's surprise, Peter and Miles were napping, each of them with their heads on the shoulder of a blonde teenage girl that slept between them. The other spider-person, Darcy surmised.

The thump of Lucky's tail against the floor announced Darcy's arrival. She took one step in the room and Bucky's hand reached for her, even though she was a good twelve feet away from him. She crossed the distance and took his hand, sitting down next to him.

“Any news?”

“Nothing,” Pietro said. “We know nothing.”

Wanda said softly, “I'm sure we will know something soon.”

Darcy squeezed Bucky's hand softly but didn't know what to say. Somehow it was Stark who did. “You remember the day I met Katie, Barton? Everybody know this story? No? I knew Romanoff and Barton were spies, but I had no idea what they'd been hiding from us.”

Darcy had heard Kate's version of the story, but she listened anyway.

* * *

 

_Tony Stark felt like he had been bruised throughout every inch of his body. Even in an armored suit within another armored suit, he never wanted to go one on one with the Hulk again. Ever. It took pretty much every ounce of his energy to follow Barton from where he had landed the quin-jet to the farmhouse in the near distance._

_They passed through the wooden gate and a young woman bounded out onto the porch. She was pretty, Stark noted. Because he always noticed pretty. She was dressed casually. Grey and purple plaid button-down flannel. Blue jeans. Purple Chuck Taylors. Brunette. Blue eyes. Early twenties._

_"Are you guys all right?" She asked Barton and Natasha as if none of the rest of them existed. She fell into step with Natasha and put her arm around her waist, supporting the side that Barton wasn't._

_"I'm okay," Natasha said quietly._

_"Must be an agent of some kind," Tony said to Steve as the entered the farmhouse._

_"Honey, I'm home!" Barton called out. A goofy looking, one-eyed, yellow lab mix bounded off of the couch and proceeded to wiggle against Barton and Nat. Natasha knelt down and rubbed the dog's furry ears, smiling for the first time since they left Africa._

_"Another, smaller, agent." Tony said, again to Cap._

_"Why didn't you call ahead?" The young brunette scolded Barton, giving the back of his head an affectionate, light pop._

_"Sorry," Tony answered instead. "We were busy not knowing that you exist."_

_"You guys, this is Katie." This earned him a dirty look from her, "Kate," he corrected. "Kate, this is..."_

_"Really?" She interrupted, cocking her eyebrow._

_"She knows all of your names," Clint admitted grudgingly._

_Natasha touched Clint on the shoulder and passed by him, going toward the stairs. "I'm going to get cleaned up."_

_Kate and Clint both watched her with undisguised worry as she ascended the stairs. "Go," Kate said to him. "I got this."_

_Clint followed Natasha up the stairs and Kate clapped her hands together to get the rest of the Avengers attention. "So. We have three showers. One in Clint's room and one in Nat's, one across the hall from mine. Try to keep showers short. We run out of hot water on good days, and there are a lot of you. And some of you have quite a lot of surface area to clean." She cast her eyes to Thor with that last remark._

_Tony raised his hand. "Point of clarification: Clint's and Nat's rooms? As in separate rooms?"_

_Kate answered with an incredulous look and continued._

_Aside, to Steve, Tony said, "I owe you ten bucks."_

_"Clint's stuff should fit you and you," Kate indicated Tony and Bruce. "Maybe you," to Steve. "Definitely not you. Excellent armor by the way. Way more impressive up close. I'll go into town. Pick up some frozen pizzas and donuts. More coffee. We will definitely need more coffee. What size do you wear, Mr. Thor? Large? Extra large? Greek God?"_

_"I shall not be needing a change of garb. I have something I need to take care of. Thank you, my lady."_

_Thor exited the farmhouse, the screen door clanging behind him and Steve followed._

_That left Tony and Bruce, a captive audience of two. "Whatever you guys do, don't let Clint make the coffee. And no matter what he tells you, don't feed Lucky any pizza. Unless you plan on using his toxic gas as a chemical weapon."_

_"Um, one more point of clarification: Who are you?" Tony raised his hand again._

_"Kate Bishop. The one and only member of the 'Clint and Natasha Witness Protection Program'. It's a long story. And it's not really mine to tell."_

* * *

 

“She saved my life,” Pietro said quietly. “In Sokovia.”

“You mean when you tried to catch bullets with your body?” Clint gave Pietro a disapproving glare.

“Yes. That time.”

“You got shot three times before she took that Ultron-bot out. You were lucky you didn't get killed.”

“I did get killed,” Pietro reminded him.

They didn't talk about it much; the original timeline. It was uncomfortable thinking about a world where Piet hadn't been with them all along. Because, to them, Kate had always saved Pietro in Sokovia. Pietro had always distracted Thanos enough that Clint and Kate were able to kill him. They knew he hadn't, but they didn't want to think about it.

Dr. Palmer broke the uncomfortable tension when she came into the room with a smile on her face. “Clint? Come on, Kate's harassing the nurses. Maybe you can rein her in?”

“She's gonna be okay?” Sam asked.

Christine explained, “I think so. She does have a linear skull fracture, but CT shows no sign of a brain bleed or hematoma. She is concussed, and she's gonna need time, but, we're very optimistic.”

“Can I see her?” Pietro asked.

“In a bit. And just you. Everyone else can see her tomorrow.”

More than one mouth opened to protest.

“She needs her rest. You can see her tomorrow.”

“Boss?” Friday's voice interrupted, “Captain Rogers and his team have landed.”

“Tell 'em we're all going to bed, Friday.”

“Yes. Boss.”

* * *

 

Monica watched the news reports with satisfaction. Her plan was working perfectly. Octavius had injured most of Barnes's team, making him vulnerable. Now, they would be sending Octavius to the same detention facility that housed Malus, Killian, and Kozlov. AIM was slowly being assembled, right under the Avengers' noses.

Tarleton brought in the last of the equipment that she had needed. She was ready.

The little worm had no idea what was in store for him. All he did was beg, “Will you do what you promised? Will you make Darcy love me?”

“Sweet George,” she promised, “I promised I would make you exactly like her beloved Bucky; A machine only designed for killing, and I will.”

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Wounded

Bucky dropped his tac gear just inside the door to the apartment. It was too far to put it away. It was too heavy. Everything was too heavy.

He could feel Darcy's worried eyes on him, and he knew she was waiting for him to say something. Anything. But he just couldn't.

He was so tired.

She was in front of him, looking up at him with those big blue eyes before his tired mind could register that she had approached. “It's late. Let's get you to bed, babe.”

He allowed himself to be led by the hand through the apartment, to the bedroom. Darcy gently placed her hand on his shoulder, pushing him to sit on the edge of the mattress. She started by removing his shoes and socks. Then his vest and shirt. She stopped at the purple bruise blooming over his shoulder and whispered, “Ouch.”

“I should shower,” he mumbled.

“You want to?”

“No.”

“Pants,” she instructed after she undid the buckle and fly. He obeyed, lifting his hips so she could slide them down his legs and off.

“Food? Bath?” She asked. “What do you need?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight, pressing his cheek against her belly. “This. You.”

Her fingers worked through his hair, soothing and tender.

“There were so many of them,” he said quietly. “So many.”

“I know. But it's over now.”

He looked up at her, “I was scared.”

“Me too, babe.”

He lifted the hem of her shirt so he could touch her skin with his hands and lips. “Need you.”

Darcy worked the buttons and slipped the shirt off, followed by her bra. Bucky traced the bottom of one breast with his fingers and then swiped across the nipple with his thumb. She let out a small breath which echoed in the quiet of the room. Bucky pulled her body in tight and lowered her to the mattress. He pulled off her jeans and panties too, dropping them on the floor next to her shirt.

He took a minute to look at her, her soul as bare to him as her body was. There was no teasing this time. No playfulness. Just love in her eyes. Bucky felt his began to water.

“Love you so much,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” he said, pressing his lips against her inner thigh. “Darce... I need....”

He wanted to taste her and feel her come apart under his mouth. He wanted something that he could control. Something good.

“Whatever you need, babe,” she promised. “You can have whatever you need.”

 

* * *

 

“Davis said there were about a thousand of those octobots.” Darcy said as they got ready for the morning. She was already dressed and sipping on her coffee. Bucky still hadn't even showered and was absently staring out the window.

“It was like they came out of nowhere. Like they materialized out of thin air. We were overwhelmed within minutes. And...”

“And?” she asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

“Never mind. It's nothing.”

Darcy didn't push. Bucky would probably tell her later when he was ready. “What happened to your shoulder?”

“I fell. It dislocated when Gwen caught me. I popped it back in. It'll be fine in a couple of days.”

“That's her name? The spider girl?”

“Gwen Stacy. Her friend is Miles.”

“Yeah. I know.” Darcy smiled over at Bucky but he was staring down at the blood on the carpet, where Miles had bled from his own shoulder wound.

“Letting him in was really stupid.”

“I was fine.” Darcy shrugged, trying not to get pissed off at his assessment. She fiddled around in her purse for her office key and then remembered, “Oh hell. I forgot about my ICER.”

“What about your ICER?”

“It's been holding less of a charge lately. I keep meaning to have Fitz look at it. But I think it's pretty much dead.”

“You've been walking around without a working weapon?” he growled.

“I have my taser.”

“Damn it, Darcy.” he raised his voice a little more, “You need to be more responsible.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Don't overreact, babe.”

“I'm not overreacting. You never take your safety seriously. And I'm sick of it.”

Darcy steeled herself and crossed her arms over her chest. “Pretty sure you should stop yelling at me.”

“I'm not yelling!”

Darcy took a deep breath to keep from yelling back. “Sure. That's why the cat is hiding. Because you're not yelling.”

“I'm not... I'm just sick of you continually making stupid decisions. I'm asking you to start using your damned head for once.”

Darcy knew logically that he wasn't mad at her, but that he was stressed and worried about Kate.

She knew that he wasn't like those jerks that thought her cup size meant a low IQ. But all those little insecurities never went away. And the idea that he was treating her like she was some kind of idiot, even if he really didn't mean it, pissed her off, and logic went out the window.

Darcy picked up the plate of eggs and bacon she had made for him and dumped the food in the trash. She dropped the plate into the sink with a clatter. Part of her wished that it had broken. But it didn't.

“Call me stupid, one more time Barnes...”

“And you'll what? Shoot me with your weapon? That you haven't bothered to maintain?”

She shot him daggers with her eyes but tried not to lose her temper again. Even if he wasn't fighting fair, she could. She reached down under the coffee table and scooped up their cat and grabbed her purse. “Don't talk to me again until you're ready to apologize,” she said as she slammed the door behind her.

As the elevator doors closed, she heard their apartment door open.

A minute later, her phone started to ring. By the time she had shuffled the cat in her arms and grabbed the phone from her purse, the ringing had stopped and there was a waiting voicemail from Bucky.

“Hey, darlin. I tried to catch you at the elevator. I'm so sorry. No excuse for the way I spoke to you just now. I'm really sorry,” he said again. “I'll be in briefings all morning but...how about I meet you at lunchtime, apologize in person? Please forgive me. I love you Darce. ”

“Love you too, babe,” she said to the empty elevator. She was about to dial him back when the doors opened.

Monica stood in the hallway with tears streaming down her face. “Oh, Darcy, thank God. I really need a friend.”

“Sweetie...come into my office...”

“Actually, can we go get some coffee? I have to get out of this building.” She said between sobs.

“Um. Sure. Okay.” Darcy had lots of work to do on the day after an incident, but she had left her apartment early. “I can't stay out long, but I think I can swing coffee. Just let me set up Gretel in my office.”

 

* * *

 

“Why don't you park in the Initiative garage?” Darcy asked.

Monica had asked if they could walk over to her car to pick up her phone. Darcy knew how naked she felt when she didn't have her phone on her, so she didn't think anything of fetching it before they headed out. On the walk, Darcy had told her about the fight with Bucky.

She was looking around the dark garage nervously when Monica said, without a trace of her earlier tears, “Because there are no cameras here.”

“Wha...?” Darcy turned to see a gun pointed at her and another device in Monica's hand. Darcy's purse, with her taser, ICER and phone were sitting on top of the hood of the car, about 3 feet away. Too far for Darcy to grab it without getting shot. “What are you doing?”

Monica lifted the hand with the device in it to her temple and made an adjustment, turning on a photostatic veil. Darcy's own face was staring back at her. “Taking your place. Your boyfriend was right, you are stupid.”

“He'll know. He will know it isn't me.”

Monica then pointed the device at the air behind Darcy and opened up a portal. “I only need to fool him for a minute.”

She started to pull the trigger, “It's a shame that they'll never find your body.”

Out of nowhere a flurry of screaming, angry cat went for Monica's hand. The gun went off. And Darcy fell backward through the portal.


	9. Harkened

Natasha appraised Bucky when he came into the briefing room and sat down beside her. They were the first two to arrive.

“You look like death warmed over, Barnes,” she said quietly. “You okay?”

“No,” he admitted. “Fight with Darcy this morning.”

“You start it?”

“Yeah.”

“Because of Kate getting hurt yesterday?”

“Stop being insightful, Romanoff. It's annoying.”

She let out a half laugh and gave his hand a squeeze. “Did you apologize?”

“Tried.”

“I yelled at Steve the other day,” she confessed.

“What'd he do?”

“I love how you assume he was at fault.”

“Wasn't he?” Bucky grinned.

“Oh yeah. Waded into a gang fight with no weapons and no backup. He was supposed to be getting tacos.”

“I woulda yelled at him too.”

“That's why you and I get along so well, Barnes. Our significant others are reckless and frustrating.”

“Speaking of reckless and frustrating...” Natasha turned to see what Bucky nodded at. Sam was escorting Daisy into the room. Sam was still in a sling and Daisy was wearing dark glasses.

“How are you, Quake?” Bucky asked.

“I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.”

“That's right, my smoking hot girlfriend can quote Star Wars,” Sam beamed.

“Return of the Jedi,” Natasha and Daisy corrected.

“What?”

“That quote is from Return of the Jedi,” Natasha said.

“Hey losers,” a voice came from behind Sam and Daisy.

“Katie!” Bucky was up out of his chair in a flash and was hugging her.

“Squeezing...too...hard...” she stammered.

“Shit. Sorry. Sorry!” He abruptly let go.

“I was kidding, dumb ass. Jeez. Chill out.”

Nat smiled and rose to hug her as well. “Did you get sprung from medical?”

“I have to go back. Dr. Palmer wants to keep me under observation for a few days.”

“Then why are you here now?” Strange's baritone voice asked when he came into the room.

Kate shrugged. “I escaped?”

Natasha pointed at the door. “Back to medical. Now.”

“Oh come on!”

“Katherine Bishop, you get your butt back to medical or I'm telling Clint,” Nat commanded.

“Nobody lets me have any fun,” she mumbled as she went back down the hallway. “I'm not afraid of Clint.”

 

* * *

 

It may have seemed a little strange, having a teenage girl that they had never met lead the morning briefing, but Natasha knew better than to underestimate any young woman. The girl was smart, competent. Gwen Stacy demanded respect. Natasha liked that about her.

“A few months ago, my earth's Dr. Stephen Strange received a vision of the future. This future that my Dr. Strange saw,” Gwen shook her head, “It shook him. It was bad. Turns out, it was your earth that the vision came from. It wasn't our future at all. But somehow, what happens here, is going to tear a hole in the multiverse. That's why he sent me here. To help you.”

“The multiverse theory? It's real?” Banner looked excited.

“We've actually already had this conversation, Bruce,” Natasha said. “Not that you remember it.”

“So when Natasha went back and saved Pietro, stopped the snap, did we create alternate universes? Did we create multiple alternate universes?” Bruce asked.

“No,” Both Natasha and Strange answered.

Natasha shook her head, “We created a closed loop, alternate timeline.”

Everyone but Steve and Strange looked puzzled. She'd already told Steve this story, and Strange somehow already knew everything. Natasha sighed and explained.

 

_Universe 199998_

_Three weeks after the Snap_

“ _Are we really talking about time travel? Is that even possible?” Steve asked._

“ _It's possible,” Tony insisted from his hospital bed. “Strange said that if we want to win we have to go back and save Maximoff.”_

“ _How do we save Wanda without saving everyone else?” Natasha asked._

“ _Not Wanda. We have to save Pietro. Specifically, Clint's protege needs to save Pietro.”_

“ _Not to be a buzzkill,” Rhodey chimed in, “But won't that create a parallel reality?”_

“ _The multiverse theory,” Banner nodded. “We'll just branch off into an alternate reality if we change the past.”_

_Carol Danvers shook her head. “Not if we do it right. We can create a simple closed loop. An alternate future. We can do this.”_

“ _What's the difference?” Natasha asked._

_Carol went up to the whiteboard and began drawing. “Let's say you are living your life and you are faced with a crossroads. If you turn down this street, you meet the love of your life, and if you go down this one, unbelievable wealth. That's a point of divergence. Both could exist and in this case, both do. Two parallel worlds within an entire multiverse, each created because of that choice.” On the board she had created a drawing of one line, branching into two parallel lines._

“ _But in this case, we are talking about going back in time, changing something and instead of creating a point of divergence, we are looping back on the timeline from which we came; the timeline we are in now. It will exist, but we'll skip over it like it never happened.” Carol drew a line that looped up and around itself once and then went back into a line._

“ _Okay. My brain hurts,” Clint complained._

“ _Here,” she pointed to the board again. “This is the timeline. We are going to follow it and loop back in time. But instead of going around the loop over and over, we're only going to loop once. Then we'll go right back to the line and proceed as if this....” she scratched out the loop, “never happened. In fact, the only one who will remember it is the person we send back.”_

“ _And you think we can do this?” Clint said_

“ _The change will have to be something subtle. Something small, that makes Fury or you bring your protege...”_

“ _Kate...”_

“ _...Kate to Sokovia. In the process, she saves Maximoff. He helps you save the world from Thanos.”_

“ _I'll get to work on building a time machine...as soon as I can get out of this bed,” Tony said, as he squeezed Pepper's hand and fell asleep._

 

_Universe 199998_

_Three months after the snap_

“ _Time travel?” Leopold Fitz paced around the mechanical lab in Stark tower. “Possible but not really feasible. Unless we had access to the quantum realm. Which we don't. But a message back in time...Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.”_

“ _See?” Tony nudged Steve, “told you that calling Phil was a good idea.”_

“ _In all fairness, I didn't know calling Phil was even a possibility.” Steve looked at Coulson and scowled a little, “I thought you were dead.”_

“ _I was. For about a week.”_

“ _Stark,” Fitz pointed at Tony. “Show me to your physics lab. I have an idea.”_

 

_Universe 199998_

_May 4 th, 2015_

_Natasha hoped like hell that Nick Fury didn't try to touch her. He'd find out immediately that she was a hologram. The fate of the universe rested on Nick believing everything that came out of her mouth right now. There was no one better prepared for a mission like this, she told her self._

“ _Nick,” she stopped him as he left the back door to wait for Stark in the barn._

“ _Romanoff. You knew I was here?”_

“ _When we see each other inside, I can pretend I didn't,” she offered._

“ _My ego would appreciate that.”_

“ _I need you to do something. Even if Clint pitches a fit.”_

“ _Pissing off Barton is one of my favorite past times, Romanoff. What do you need?”_

“ _Bring Kate with us when we face Ultron. We'll need her.”_

“ _She's pretty young,” he shook his head._

“ _So was I. Promise me.”_

“ _Don't know why it means so much to you but, all right. I promise.”_

“ _Good. See you inside, Nick. And remember, we never saw each other.”_

* * *

 

_The Avengers had no idea that a visitor from the future was standing just around the side of the house, eavesdropping on a very important conversation that was taking place just inside the doorway._

_"This sucks, Clint." Kate stated simply, "I might be able to help."_

_"And you might get yourself killed."_

_Natasha could almost envision Kate opening her mouth to protest._

_"We had a deal, Kate. You let me train you. Part of that training is me letting you know when I think you are ready to wade into battle. You aren't."_

_"I'm as good as you are."_

_"With a bow. You really might be. But in hand to hand? Kate, please believe me. If there was a way a could ensure that you would just be a sharpshooter..."_

_"Actually," Fury offered, "I may be able to provide her with some opportunities in that regard."_

_"Why?" Stark asked, "What are you planning?"_

_"Something dramatic, I hope."_

_Universe 199998_

_11 months and 16 days after the snap_

_Natasha was still standing at the same spot next to the house when Fitz turned off the holographic emitter._

“ _Did it work?” Natasha turned to ask him. But the words didn't come out of her mouth. Natasha suddenly felt dizzy and had to sit. She was flooded with memories of a new version of the last five years. Pietro had been an Avenger since that day in Sokovia. And the snap...never happened._

“ _Natasha?”_

_Steve's hands were gently lifting her into a standing position. He looked relaxed and happy, standing there in jeans and red flannel. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”_

_Nat smiled, “I like it when you call me sweetheart.”_

“ _I know.”_

_She nestled into his chest and his arms went around her. Her eyes closed as she listened to Clint calling to his 'kids' to stop bickering. Wanda was laughing at Kate and Pietro as they hurled insults at each other._

_She heard Bucky yell, “I swear to God, Wilson! I'm gonna kill you!” and Sam laugh._

“ _Is everything all right, Natasha?” Steve asked softly_

“ _It is now.”_

 

Now

 

Stephen Strange continued the briefing. “When I was on Titan before Thanos got there, I saw over 33 million possible futures. The future that was sent to me a few months ago was not one of them. Unfortunately, the glimpse that I received was not enough to give me an idea of what exactly I needed to do to prevent it. I needed to go to that future and assess further.”

“You got this vision two months ago? Is there a particular reason that you waited until now to tell us about it?” Stark asked

“Because I didn't have a plan to stop it,” he explained as if it was obvious.

“That whole teamwork thing is kind of lost on you, isn't it Strange?” Steve grumbled.

Natasha elbowed Steve in the ribs. “But you have a plan now?” she asked.

“Yes. Of course, I do. As you know, time travel to the future is very difficult because it is fluid, instead of fixed. In fact, it's nearly impossible. We need someone who can move between dimensions, which is a power that Ms. Stacy possesses. And we need to amplify her power to move forward into the future. I tried several different mystical solutions to no avail. I was going to have Stark start working on a mechanical solution when I realized: we have a flerken.”

Bucky scowled and asked, “What the hell is a flerken?”

“Funny you ask, Agent Barnes...”

 

 


	10. Slipped

“ _What happens when the shooting starts? Let them kill Steve Rogers?”_

_Natasha Romanoff to General Ross, June 23 rd, 2016_

 

Darcy knew two things for sure: One was that she was no longer in a parking garage. The other was that she had been shot.

The searing pain in her abdomen kept her from standing. She lay on the warm grass huddled in a ball, resigned to the fact that she was probably going to bleed to death.

Just as she was about to lapse into unconsciousness she felt a pair of strong arms, pick her up and familiar blue eyes were staring down at her.

“Babe?” she mumbled as she drifted off.

* * *

 

She awoke in a sterile white room. She tried to sit up and felt a pull in her belly that made her stop. “Don't...” a kind, feminine voice warned her. “Your wound is still healing.”

“Where am I?”

Then Darcy realized that the voice belonged to an old friend and relaxed. “Shuri? How did I get to Wakanda?”

“I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, for I do not know your name.”

“Is this your way of telling me you don't wanna be a bridesmaid?” Darcy tried to laugh and then the pain in her belly hit her. She could feel the blood drain out of her face and a cold sweat begin.

“I'm going to give you a sedative, all right?”

“Mmm hmm. Good idea.” She closed her eyes and let medically induced sleep overtake her.

* * *

 

“So Barnes just brought her in? Into the city?”

Darcy began to come to again and recognized the next voice.

“Jesus, Okoye, did you expect him to let her bleed to death out in the field?”

“Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Rhodes. But we know nothing about her. She could be dangerous.”

Wanda said quietly, “She's not dangerous. But she shouldn't be here.”

“Exactly,” Okoye argued, “she should not be here.”

“No...” Wanda said softly. “She shouldn't be in this reality. She's out of place.” Wanda paused. “And time.”

Darcy wanted to ask her what she meant, but sleep overtook her again.

* * *

 

The next time Darcy woke there was someone sitting in the chair next to her bed. “Nat?” She croaked out.

“You're awake. Good. Water?”

Darcy nodded, her throat was so dry she didn't think another word would come out. Natasha let her take a few sips before she asked, “You have a name?”

“That's funny, Natasha. You trying to get out of that 20 bucks you still owe me from poker night?”

“What is your name?” Natasha asked more firmly.

“You know my name, Nat.”

Her arms went over her chest as Natasha insisted, “I don't.”

Darcy started putting the pieces together. The portal behind her when Monica shot her. Wanda saying she didn't belong here. Natasha not knowing her.

“Shit. That bitch.” Darcy took another sip, to soothe her throat. “My name is Darcy Lewis. I work for the Avengers Initiative. At least, I do in my reality.”

Natasha shook her head and looked beyond skeptical. “Are you going to try to convince me that you come from some parallel universe?”

“She is...” Wanda interrupted as she entered the room. “Aren't you?”

Darcy found herself reaching out for Wanda's hand. “I want to go home. Bucky's gonna worry.”

“Bucky Barnes? You know him?” Natasha questioned.

“In my reality we're....”

Wanda touched Darcy's engagement ring. “You're in love.”

Natasha cocked an eyebrow, “Well she's got a siren spell over this version, that's for sure. Not that I believe any of this.”

Wanda smiled, “Natasha knows I'm telling the truth. Just ignore her.”

But Darcy didn't ignore her, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, he carried you in here like some lovelorn Austen hero and has been sitting out in that hallway waiting to hear that you're okay. But he won't come in the room because 'it wouldn't be right'.” Natasha even used air quotes. “It's the most we've seen him since we took refuge here.”

“He still blames himself,” Wanda explained.

“Well, he's stupid.” Natasha shot back.

“He blames himself for what?” Darcy asked. “What do you mean, 'taking refuge'?”

“As soon as T'Challa realized that Bucky was innocent of the bombing, he hid us all here, since we were all in violation of the Accords,” Natasha explained. Then she looked at the puzzled look on Darcy's face and asked, “You don't have the Sokovia Accords in your reality?”

“They were dissolved.”

“Well not here, they weren't. Everything went to shit after Steve and Tony....”

Natasha abruptly stopped talking, so Darcy finished, “After they fought?”

“Fought?” Natasha scoffed.

Wanda said quietly, “Ross had his troops secretly follow Tony to Berlin with orders to execute Steve & Bucky.”

Natasha picked up the narrative, “Steve was fighting back too hard against the Accords for their taste and they wanted him eliminated. As soon as Steve was shot, Tony went after the troops in a rage. It was chaos. We lost a lot of people we loved that day.”

“All because of me...”

Darcy turned to the sound of his voice from the doorway. “Bucky,” she breathed. But it wasn't her Bucky. That was obvious. He was thinner, with dark circles under his eyes. His face was drawn as if it was in a perpetual scowl. Grief was pouring out of his very soul.

“Steve, Stark, Barton, Lang...” he paused, “and Parker. All dead because Steve wanted to protect me. I cost good men their lives. A kid...died...because of me.”

“James,” Natasha sighed, “We've told you a thousand times...”

T'Challa announced his arrival in the room with, “He doesn't even listen to his sovereign, Ms. Romanoff, so why would he listen to his friends?”

Bucky scowled more deeply and slunk out of the room.

T'Challa approached Darcy's bedside and took her hand, “How is our guest?”

“Really wanting to get home,” she admitted.

“We can arrange a flight...” he began.

“Not gonna work,” Nat said. “She's apparently from a parallel reality.”

Darcy added, “Which I realize sounds bat-crap crazy.”

“The theory of the multiverse. My sister has rambled on about that on more than one occasion. Well, if anyone can find a way to travel between realities, my sister can.”

* * *

 

She tracked him down as soon as she was released from her hospital bed. She found Bucky in a small hut, just outside the city.

“I hear I have you to thank for saving my life.”

Bucky shrugged. “Least I could do.”

Darcy smiled, “Blames himself for things out of his control. Can't stand it when someone says thank you... you're Bucky all right. Do you downplay compliments too?”

He opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“Let's try again, shall we? Thank you, Bucky, for saving my life.”

He shrugged again but mumbled, “Yer welcome.”

She chuckled, “Not perfect, but progress.”

“Is it true, what they say about you?”

“That I have a sparkling wit?”

“That you're from another reality.”

“True.”

“In your reality....” he began.

Darcy selfishly thought that he would ask about her, but instead, he asked, “Is Steve alive?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “And so is Scott, Clint, Tony, Peter... all of your friends are fine. Plus you have some awesome new friends like Kate and Daisy.”

He swallowed hard, “And you? Are you my friend?”

She blushed a bit, “I'm your best friend. But I would never tell Steve that to his face.”

“Are we...more?”

“Yes. We are.”

It was his turn to blush. He looked right at the ground when he mumbled, “Glad I saved your life then.”

“Thank you, Bucky Bear.”

He half smiled at that, “You actually call me that?”

“Actually, I usually call you 'babe'. Sam and Daisy usually call you that.”

“Sam Wilson calls me Bucky Bear? I don't think I want to know that.”

“You call him Bird Brain.”

This earned her a full smile. “Your world sounds nice. Friends, a pretty girl, and a cat.”

“Cat?” Darcy flashed back to the moment when she fell through the portal. Gretel had attacked Monica. Did she follow her through?

Bucky answered that question by reaching into his hut and producing Darcy's cat. “Dang thing came through with you. I tried to take her into the city to be with you, but she keeps coming back. She yours?”

“Yes.” Darcy cuddled Gretel in her arms. “Hey, baby girl. Did you try to save me from that evil two-faced bitch? Yes, you did!”

Bucky reached forward with his left arm, the metal one, to scratch Gretel on the top of her head. Darcy reached out and touched it. In her mind's eye, she saw her Bucky's hand and wondered if she'd ever touch it again.

Suddenly she felt a little dizzy. The world around her began to fade. She closed her eyes and found herself sitting on the concrete. She scanned the skyline. It was New York, but it wasn't.

“Are you all right, ma'am?”

A gentleman was reaching out with his left hand to assist her to her feet. Darcy rose to meet the eyes of a young, dapper, Bucky Barnes.

“Oh shit,” she muttered.

 


	11. Hoodwinked

“You're being ridiculous, Buck,” Steve complained.

Bucky looked at Steve, leaning against the wall and scowled. “Suddenly, I feel like smacking you, Stevie.”

“What did I do?”

“You're pushing me. I have to get this right.” Bucky continued to pace outside of Darcy's office.

“It'll be fine. Just go in there and tell her, 'honey, our cat is an alien'.”

“You think I'm worried about telling her about Gretel?”

“You aren't?”

“No. This is Darcy we're talking about. The fact that our cat is a flurby...”

“...flerken...” Steve corrected.

“...won't faze her a bit.”

“Then what is it?”

“We had a fight this morning.”

“And? Natasha and I fight all the time. All. The. Time. She's perpetually annoyed with me. Apparently, I have no regard at all for my own personal safety.”

“Punk, you don't have any regard for your personal safety.”

Steve shrugged an admission and then asked, “What was your fight about?”

“The fact that Darcy has no regard for her personal safety.”

Steve made that face where it was obvious that he was trying not to laugh, and failing.

“Don't laugh. I was a jackass. I actually yelled at her.” Bucky ran his hand over his face. “You should have seen her Steve...I hurt her feelings.”

“Go in there and apologize. You'll feel better.”

“What if she doesn't forgive me?”

“Buck. She loves you. I've never seen two people who are as genuinely good together as you two are. She'll forgive you. You act like you've never fought before.”

“Once before,” Bucky mumbled.

“What did you say? Once before? Have you only had two fights?”

“Well... yes... I mean we bicker sometimes. About me kicking my socks under the couch, or her coffee mugs everywhere... But we don't yell. How often do you and Natasha fight?”

“Every time I do something that she thinks is stupid or reckless.”

“So...a lot?”

“About as often as you yelled at me growing up.”

“Stevie,” Bucky grinned. “that's a bucket load.”

“Yeah. But the make-up sex...”

Bucky pretended to be scandalized. “Do you purposefully look for fights, just to get Natasha worked up?”

“Would I do that?” Steve asked with his hand over his heart and an innocent expression on his face.

“Yes. You would.”

Steve smiled widely, “Stop putting it off, Buck. Go apologize to your girl. Oh, and do me a favor. Give me the cat before the make-up sex. I don't want to stand in the hall and wait for you two to...fondue.”

Bucky took a deep breath, rapped his knuckles on the door to Darcy's office and peeked his head in. “Still speaking to me?”

“Of course I'm still speaking to you,” Darcy smiled, a little too widely.

Her response was not what he expected. “I'm really sorry about this morning, how can I make it up to you?”

“Honey, it was just a little fight. Couples fight,” she shrugged. “Did you need something?”

“Just...to apologize.”

“Apology accepted. I'll see you after work. Maybe we can go to that little sushi place we like? ”

“Yeah...” Bucky backed out of the office. “That sounds great, dear. See you later.”

“Where's the cat?” Steve asked as soon as Bucky shut the door. Bucky took Steve by the elbow and into a copy room and shut the door.

“Friday? I need you to monitor Darcy. Let me know the second she leaves the building and where she goes. Run facial recognition on all the cameras surrounding Stark Tower and scour the internet for any trace of her from 7 am today until now.”

“Yes, Agent Barnes.”

“Buck? Why are we spying on Darcy?”

Bucky shook his head. “Because that's not Darcy.”

He expected Steve to argue that 'of course it was Darcy', but instead, he barked, “Friday, lock down this floor...”

“Belay that order,” Bucky told the artificial intelligence. “Stevie, we need to follow the impostor if we want to find the real Darcy.”

“Or we interrogate the impostor to find the real Darcy.” Steve paused, “Buck, are you sure about this?”

“She called me honey... and wanted to go get sushi.”

“You hate sushi.”

“Which is why she always goes with her friends and never drags me there. And...I called her dear. I've never called her dear. Ever. Because she hates it. And she didn't bat an eyelash.”

“Okay, let's just....bring another set of eyes into this. Okay?” Steve took a breath. “Friday, can you tell Agent Romanoff to meet me here?”

“Yes, Agent Rogers.”

The realization that Darcy was missing started to hit Bucky. He felt sick. He must have looked it too because Steve's hand came down onto his shoulder. “You okay, Buck?”

“No. My wife is missing.”

“We'll find her, Buck.”

* * *

 

It didn't take long for Natasha to show up. Steve was unnecessarily cryptic with her, just asking her to ask Darcy to lunch. When Natasha came back, she announced, “So, you know that isn't Darcy, right?”

“We know,” Bucky growled.

“How'd you know?” Steve asked, “Did she say something?”

“You can see the edges of the photostatic veil. Also, she's about a half a cup size too small. Which I'm surprised neither of you noticed. I don't know who that is, but it's not Darcy.”

“Agents?” Friday asked overhead. “I traced Ms. Lewis's activities from this morning and I have found a surveillance video. I think you should see it.”

Friday displayed the video that was obviously recorded from a distance. It was grainy with no sound. Darcy was in a parking garage with another woman. Suddenly a glowing portal opened. The woman's face turned into Darcy's. The imposter aimed a gun at Darcy and pulled the trigger just as Bucky's cat jumped at the woman. Darcy fell with the shot and disappeared through the portal, followed by the cat.

Steve was the first to speak. “Shit.”

“No,” Bucky clenched his fists. Rage built up and poured out of him. He yanked open the door and ran down the hall.

“Barnes!”

“Buck, stop!”

Bucky yanked the door to Darcy's office open so hard that he pulled it off the hinges. The woman wearing Darcy's face gasped, “Honey, what are you doing?”

He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake. “You're not fooling anyone, lady. Where is she? Where'd you send Darcy?”

The woman smiled at Bucky and then glanced over her shoulder at his two friends. “Dead here. Dead there. Does it really matter?”

“You're not going to get away with this,” Steve said.

“I'll admit, I didn't expect the soldier here to be so perceptive. I thought I'd have a few minutes alone with him this evening.” She licked her lips and looked him up and down. “Still. I've prepared for contingencies such as this.”

“There's something in her hand!” Natasha warned.

The woman opened one of those portals behind her and let her self fall into it. Bucky felt himself falling through it until two sets of hands each grabbed an arm to pull him back.

“You okay?” Steve asked.

“Why didn't you let me go?” Bucky yelled, “She could have led me to Darcy!”

“Barnes,” Natasha said softly. “We all saw the video. She shot Darcy. She's...”

“Don't say it,” Bucky warned. “Darcy is alive. I know it. I just have to find her.”

 

* * *

 

Bucky felt like he'd had his heart ripped out. He sat in the briefing room with Daisy on the left, holding his hand, and Steve on his right. Steve kept reaching over and patting Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky's rage had given way to a numbness. It was something he hadn't felt in a very long time. In fact, the last time he felt this way was when Steve found him in Budapest. It was a sense of despair that he never thought he'd feel again. Not when he had Darcy in his life. He was too tired to even hate the feeling of helplessness. He just let it envelop him.

He didn't listen to the group argue about how Monica Rappaccini (Friday was able to identify her from the surveillance footage) had opened an interdimensional portal. Or how she had managed to get hired despite the Initiative's extensive background checks. The how or why of the situation wasn't important to Bucky. He just wanted Darcy back.

“Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about finding whats-her-face right now,” Stark proclaimed, “We find our girl first. Then we worry about flerkens and the future and whatever her name is. We're going after Lewis.”

“We may be bringing her home to bury her,” Natasha said quietly.

“She's not dead,” Bucky muttered.

“Barnes, I know that you think....”

“She's not dead. I'd know it. I'd _know_.”

“I know you don't want to believe it. I just want you to be realistic.”

“Agent Romanoff,” Vision interrupted before Bucky could rage at her. “I believe that Agent Barnes may be correct.”

Steve asked, “Is there something you are seeing on the footage?”

“No. There is something I'm seeing in Agent Barnes. As you are aware, my perception of the world is not quite the same as yours. There is an aura around each of you. I can see it, and even if you cannot, I promise you, it is there. The first time I met Agent Barnes his aura was different. After he met Ms. Lewis in the Soul Stone, it changed. And it hasn't changed back. Perhaps it means nothing. Or perhaps we shouldn't question his belief that his soul mate is alive. If anyone would be able to feel her loss, wouldn't it be him?”

It was quiet in the room for a minute. Bucky thanked Vision with a look and a nod. Then Stark broke the quiet, “Like I said, let's find our girl.”

“I'll take Fitz over to the parking garage,” Sam said. “Let him take some readings. See what we can find.”

“I'll go with you,” Wanda offered, “I may be able to sense something.”

“I'm going to go through Rappaccini's computer,” Daisy announced. “See what the hell she wanted with Darcy. Something might point us in the right direction.”

“I'll hit up Darcy's office,” Natasha said, “There may be something in there that we missed.”

“I'm going to go over that footage with a fine-toothed comb,” Stark said. “Friday? Send every bit of surveillance from today to my lab.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Um, excuse me?” Gwen Stacy poked her head in the briefing room.

“Sorry, Spidergirl,” Tony dismissed, “We're in a bit of a hurry. Have a missing team member.”

“Have they been sent to another universe?”

Everyone stopped and looked at her.

“My friend Peter Parker, not your Peter Parker but another Peter Parker he lives in another universe entirely. A weird one, quite honestly. Anyway,” she shook her head a little, “all of us have these devices that we use to communicate with each other. He says there has been an anomaly in his universe. Like a portal. And he's pretty sure a woman came through it. And when I saw this universe's Peter just now he said that you had someone missing. So...”

Bucky sat down hard in his chair. “I knew it. She's alive.”

Natasha opened her mouth, likely to argue that it could have been the portal that Monica used to escape, but shut her mouth again when Steve shook his head at her.

“Anyway,” Gwen said, “Anybody want to go dimension hopping?”

 

 

 


	12. Designed

“Shit,” Darcy muttered. 

Bucky laughed, tipping his head back and everything. “Well you have quite the mouth on you, don't you doll?” 

Darcy felt the world began to sway. 

“Whoa,” His arms came around her and he picked her off her feet as she passed out.

 

 Universe 90214

1938

“Ma'am? Are you all right?” a familiar voice asked Darcy.

She opened her eyes and looked around. In front of her was a pre-serum Steve Rogers.

And, oh yeah, she and everything around her was in black and white. She wasn't just in the past. She was in the past in a parallel universe.

“Not all right. Definitely not all right,” she mumbled. “Where...?”

“You're at my place. Well, my mother's place. She passed, not too long ago.”

“I'm sorry, Steve,” she said quietly as she held her hand over her aching head.

“How'd you know my name, Ma'am?”

“Your friend, he said it,” she guessed, hoping that she was right.

“Ah. Bucky said that you swooned, I thought you were completely out.”

“No, I heard some...but it's fuzzy. Could you?”

“Fill you in? Of course. Buck said that you fell. And you were in your um...night clothes,” he stammered and blushed.

Darcy looked down. The sundress she borrowed from Nakia probably did look like a nightgown to him. She also noticed that she was wearing a men's suit jacket. It was way too big to be Steve's so it must be Bucky's. She resisted the urge to bury her nose in it to see if it smelled like him.

“He brought you here to lie down and went to the drugstore to fetch some smelling salts. Which I'm guessing we don't need now. Unless you think you may swoon again?”

“No. I'm fine. Not gonna swoon.”

“Is there someone we can phone for you? Your father or...you have a ring, do you have a fiancee I can call?”

“No.. my fiancee is...not available.”

“A glass of water at least?”

Steve was so sweet and eager to please, it warmed her heart. “I'd love a glass of water. Thank you.”

Darcy rose off the couch that she had been reclined on and stood. Steve held out his arm to assist her to her feet. “I'm okay, thanks,” she assured him as she took in the tiny apartment while he filled a glass from the tap. Steve's place was clean and neat. A couch and two chairs sat next to a radio. A small dining room table had a vase with a single daisy perfectly centered next to a newspaper. Nothing was out of place, except for one corner of the living room. There was an easel in the corner where charcoals and paints, all in various shades of grey, were scattered next to sketches and canvases. Darcy drifted over to look.

“Oh. I'm not that good...” Steve stammered. “It's just a hobby.”

“Bullsh...” Darcy stopped herself from cursing. “You're very good.” Darcy stopped and gasped at one canvas.

“It's eerie, isn't it?” Steve admitted.

Darcy stared at the painting. It was her. With no doubt in her mind at all, Darcy knew the portrait was of her. “Did someone model for this?”

“No. Um, I painted it off of these sketches.” Steve handed her a sketchbook. There was page after page of sketches of her. At the top of one was written 'Buck's dream girl'.

“My friend Bucky was telling me about this girl that he had dreamed about. At first, I thought he was describing Snow White. He's a jerk like that, likes to mess with me... but here you are. Like I said, eerie.”

There was a minor commotion outside the apartment door. “Shoo. You can't go inside you little beast. Stevie has asthma. Go on now, shoo.”

Darcy's heart leaped into her throat at the sound of Bucky's voice. It wasn't her Bucky, she reminded herself. And that became easier to remember when he opened the door. She had almost adjusted to a world in shades of grey until he walked through the door. She immediately missed the blue in his eyes and the pink of his lips.

And yet, she couldn't seem to stop staring.

And he seemed equally stunned.

They both stood there, mouths agape until Steve broke the awkward silence with, “Hey Buck, look who's awake.”

Bucky cleared his throat, “How are you feeling, doll?”

“Better. Thank you.”

She felt herself leaning toward him, almost taking a step, when out of nowhere, Gretel dashed by Bucky and launched herself into her arms.

“The little beastie is yours then?” Bucky's smile was dripping with the confident charm of a young man. He hadn't experienced any of the horrors that her Bucky had. No war. No HYDRA.

Darcy melted a bit at the smile. It was beautiful, even in shades of grey. She wondered if there was a world in which Bucky had gotten to keep the unburdened smile that he was wearing now past his youth.

Just as the thought crystallized in her mind, she felt that slipping feeling again. She was drifting into another universe.

 

Universe 199998

Now

 

“How much longer, Tony?” Bucky asked quietly.

Stark gave him a sympathetic look and answered, “We're doing this as fast as we can, Barnes. Gwen's tech isn't from our universe, so we're having to improvise. And I only have hers to work off of, since the teeniest spider had to go home to his universe before his parents realized he wasn't at summer camp or wherever he was supposed to be.”

Tony paused and then added, “The last thing we want is to lose your team along with Darcy.”

Bucky nodded as he stared at his feet.

“Hey,” Tony's hand landed on his shoulder and Bucky looked up. Tony's eyes were wet with unshed tears. “We all love her. Not like you do, but we love her. We'll cross as many universes as we have to to get her back. You have my word.”

“Thanks, Stark.”

“You're not getting a bro-hug from me. You need one? I'll call Cap.”

“No. I'm okay without a bro-hug.”

Over at the lab entrance, a newly arrived Dr. Banner was engaged in some kind of animated discussion with Fitz. “Stark?” Bucky asked, “What do you think that's about?”

“Share with the class,” Tony yelled at his colleagues.

Banner approached them with his usual barely contained excitement. “I was able to analyze the vibrational frequencies of the portal that Darcy went through. I think I can identify the universe by that frequency. We can go straight there.”

Fitz added a 'but' before Bucky could get too excited, “But, it doesn't match the description of the universe that Gwen thinks Darcy may be in.”

“This is not a problem,” Stark said. “I just build four more of these bad boys,” he held up the inter-dimensional device he was working on, “and we send in two teams. That cool with you, Barnes?”

“Fine,” and then he repeated his earlier question, “How long?”

Stark thought for a minute. “Give me 3 hours, plus or minus about 11 minutes.”

Overhead, Friday announced, “Attention Avengers. There has been a breach at the Raft Detention facility. Agent May is instructing Delta Team to assemble at the quinjet.”

“That can't be good,” Tony muttered.

“You think it was Rappaccini?” Bucky asked.

“If it was, she's gonna be in a world of hurt when Wanda gets a hold of her. Do me a favor and see them off. Get out of my hair while I work on this.”

 

* * *

 

“Nothing like a near-death experience to give you some perspective, right Barnes?” Natasha said to Bucky as he walked onto the flight deck. He gave her a puzzled look and she nodded over to where Kate and Pietro were saying goodbye to each other. They were holding hands and their foreheads were almost touching as they quietly spoke to each other.

“About time,” Bucky half-smiled.

“I'm going with you,” Natasha told him. “When we go after Darcy. I'm going with you. Kate's not cleared medically. Sam & Daisy aren't a hundred percent.”

“They're gonna pitch a fit,” Bucky said to Nat while he waved goodbye to Wanda and Bobbie.

“Which is why you need to back me up on this.”

“Steve's gonna pitch a fit too, Nat.”

“So I'll back you up.”

“So it's you, me and SpiderGwen.”

“Four is better,” Peter Parker said from behind them. “Your teams are usually four. Or five. So four is better. I want to come with you. Darcy is my friend. I want to help.”

Bucky nodded. “Okay, kid.”

Natasha sighed, “And we can add Tony to the list of people pitching a fit.”

 

* * *

 

“I'm tech support?” Tony threw his hands up in the air. “I built these you know,” he shook one of the portal devices. “The least you could do is let me use one!”

May crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him.

“But...” Tony looked at her pleadingly.

She continued to stare at him stoically.

“Please?” he said with a small voice.

It would have been funny under other circumstances. But Bucky was too worried about Darcy to enjoy the performance.

“Rogers, Van Dyne and Rhodes are going to one universe and Barnes, Romanoff and Parker are going with Miss Stacy to the other,” May said firmly. “You are going to monitor their communications. Everyone else is going to work on finding the fugitives from the Raft. We have to find Rappaccini before she really starts pissing me off.”

“She's already pissed me off,” Bucky reminded her.

“And when we lock her up, you get to be the one who throws away the key, Barnes. Now, let's get to work.”

“You good, Buck?” Steve asked just before Bucky could open the portal.

“I'm good Steve. I've got the itsy bitsy spiders watching out for me.”

 

* * *

 

Universe 199996

Now

Darcy felt herself materialize and prepared herself for the onslaught of dizziness that would inevitable hit her.

She opened her eyes to see Bucky in front of her. He looked like her Bucky. The haircut was right. The scruff on his face, those sparkling blue eyes. The skyline in the window behind him was the familiar view of the skyline from the Tower. She smiled gratefully, “Hey babe.”

Before she closed her eyes again, she realized that there were SHIELD logos everywhere. As she fell into unconsciousness she heard him say, “Coulson, we have an intruder.”

She wasn't home after all.

 

 

 

 


	13. Irritated

 

“That's me?” Peter Parker asked, cocking his head from side to side and appraising the figure in black that was talking to Gwen Stacy.

“It's not you,” Bucky assured him.

“But it's not _not_ you,” Natasha added. After the jump, Natasha had dry heaved for a good 10 minutes and looked like she was going to pass out. Sheer force of will kept her from losing consciousness. She was clearly feeling a bit prickly over it.

“He's so broody...” Pete complained. “And grumpy.”

“Living in the Great Depression for your entire life will do that to you,” Bucky shrugged.

“So in this world, it's always the 1930's? That's freaking bizarre.”

“I can't say I disagree, kid.”

“She's coming back,” Natasha said, nodding at Gwen.

The Spiderman in black disappeared over the rooftops.

“So dramatic,” Peter grumbled.

Gwen smiled and shrugged at Bucky as she approached. “She's alive.”

Bucky hadn't realized how terrified he had really been until he heard those words. Natasha's arm came around his waist as he started to sway. “You were right, Barnes. You knew.”

“Where is she?” he breathed out.

“Okay. So...that's the bad news,” Gwen said. “Peter followed her to an apartment, and she just...disappeared.”

“Disappeared?”

“Your cat jumped into her arms and 'poof'. He was watching from the window when it happened.”

Peter grumbled under his breath, “Watching people from windows? Creeper.”

“So,” Gwen ignored Peter, “We need to get into that apartment and get some readings.”

“Easy enough,” Natasha said.

“Actually.... there's a little problem. It's Steve Rogers apartment.”

“I'll lure him out,” Natasha offered.

“Nat, this is 1938. Steve isn't....your Steve.”

“So? I'm sure I can get him out of the apartment.”

“You'll scare the crap out of him.”

“I'm a spy, Barnes. And he's still Steve. I've got this.”

“Mmm hmm. Good luck, Romanoff.”

* * *

 

“Barnes?” Stark's voice came in over Bucky's communicator. “You there?”

“Yep.” Bucky was waiting on the rooftop, along with Gwen and Peter, for Natasha to get Steve out of the apartment. It had been about 10 minutes and he still hadn't come out.

“I got Cap on the other line here, I'm gonna adjust the frequencies real quick like and he'll be there. He's got news.”

Bucky heard a buzzing and then Steve's voice. “Buck?”

“Steve?”

“She's alive, Bucky. She was here.”

Bucky nodded, even though Steve couldn't see the gesture. “She was here too.”

“Thank god. By the way, this world is terrible!”

“This world ain't so great either.”

“Yeah? Am I dead? Because here, I'm dead!” Steve sounded indignant at the idea.

“What?”

“Ross had my counterpart in this universe killed because I or he, wouldn't sign the Accords. Can you believe that? I'm dead!”

“Focus, Punk. Were you able to track where Darcy went?”

“The frequencies Rhodey analyzed suggest that she hopped to where you are. You're already one step ahead of us. Tony's finished identifying the universe that Rappaccini hopped to, we're gonna go after her. Unless you need us to join you.”

“No. We're on it. Thanks, Steve.”

“Be careful, pal.”

“You too.”

Natasha poked her head out the apartment window. “All clear.”

“You were supposed to get him out of the apartment, Natasha.”

“He wouldn't come with me. So I knocked him unconscious. He's awfully headstrong, isn't he?”

“You knocked him out? Natasha, he's fragile!”

“Oh, he'll live. Get down here and get those readings before the stubborn little shit wakes up.”

“I'm telling our Steve that you called him a stubborn little shit.”

“I yell that at him during sex, Barnes.”

The two teenagers poked their heads over the roof and looked wide-eyed at Natasha.

“Please don't tell Stark I told you that.”

“What's it worth to you, Romanoff?” Peter smiled.

“I hope that wherever Darcy is she isn't having to put up with this crap,” Natasha muttered as she ducked her head back into the apartment.

 

* * *

Darcy's head was splitting, so she kept her eyes firmly closed, even as she became aware of the voices around her.

The first voice was Steve. “How'd you know it wasn't our Darcy?”

“Because she wasn't meaner than a hornet,” Bucky said.

It was a shock to hear her own voice shoot back, “I'm fucking nice, Barnes. Everyone says so.”

“You aren't nice to me.”

“Maybe I just don't like you.”

“Mutual.”

Steve put an end to the bickering with, “Would you two stop? You're giving me a headache.”

“Can you get headaches, Stevie baby?”

“Darcy, please....” Steve was obviously at his wit's end.

Her own voice seemed a little louder when her counterpart asked, “Do I really look like that?”

“No. She's much prettier.” That was Bucky again.

“I hate you, Barnes.”

“Mutual.”

Darcy eased her eyes open to see her own face, about an inch away from hers. She jumped, “Shit! Warn a girl, won't you?”

Her counterpart didn't jump at all. She just appraised Darcy and then said, “She's not prettier than me.” The other Darcy had the bottom half of her long hair dyed bright red and she was dressed in black jeans and a black fitted t-shirt with a SHIELD logo on it. She wore Doc Martens on her feet and had stud piercing in her nose.

The boys looked almost the same as their counterparts on her earth. Bucky's hair was a little shorter, and his scruff was only five o'clock shadow as opposed to her Bucky's habit of leaving several days of growth. His prosthetic arm was different. It was obviously cybernetic, unlike the realistic one her Bucky had, but it wasn't the monstrosity that HYDRA had inflicted on him either.

Steve was just...Steve... right down to the too tight blue t-shirt. In his arms was Gretel, purring up a storm.

“How are you feeling, Darcy?” Steve asked, “It is Darcy, right?”

“Yeah. Darcy. I feel like I've been shoved through an inter-dimensional portal, shot, and then shoved through two more,” she answered honestly.

“And are you aware that you've brought a flerken into a SHIELD facility?”

The voice came from behind her and Darcy turned tentatively. Phil Coulson was smiling faintly at her.

“What's a flerken?”

Coulson nodded towards Steve and the purring furball in his arms.

“In my world, we call that a cat.”

The other Darcy snorted.

“She just looks like a cat,” Coulson explained. “She's really an inter-dimensional being. She's probably the reason that you are hopping through dimensions. I don't think she shot you, though.”

“No. That was a two-faced bitch named Monica Rappaccini.”

Everyone in the room looked at each other meaningfully.

“I take it she's a hell bitch in this reality too?”

“You could say that,” Bucky answered. “You look a little pale, doll. Can I get you some water or something?”

“Thanks, ba...,” Darcy stopped herself, “Bucky. Thanks, Bucky.”

The other Darcy snorted again. “Doll? Seriously? Stop flirting with other me.”

“I'm being nice!”

“You're being creepy. Is this a twin fantasy thing? Because that's not happening, Bucko.”

“Okay. That's it,” Steve groaned. “I'm taking this Darcy and her flerken to her room. She's tired and she doesn't need to listen to the two of you bicker. I don't need to listen to the two of you bicker.”

“Want me to put him back in the ice?” Coulson offered, clearly joking.

“I'm considering it,” Steve sighed.

“You're a laugh riot, punk,” Bucky faux-scowled. “I'll walk her to her room.”

“Do not try to sleep with not-me!” Her counterpart yelled. “I don't want you to know what I look like naked. Perv.”

Bucky threw his arms up and looked at the ceiling. “Why me, God? What did I do to deserve this?”

“Bucky,” Steve growled, “just...take new Darcy to her room. Stop provoking old Darcy.”

“I didn't!”

“Old Darcy? Excuse me? You know what? Fuck that shit. I'm taking Other Darcy... and yes, that's what we're calling her... to her room. Give me the puddy tat, Rogers.”

She didn't even wait until she was out of earshot before she started complaining, “Can you believe those two? The boy scout and the asshat. They like that on your world?”

“Um,” Darcy thought about it, “Steve is a good guy, but not a goody-goody. So no. And Bucky is...”

“An asshat?”

“Not exactly.”

They stepped on the elevator and Darcy could feel her counterpart appraising her. She nodded toward the ring on Darcy's finger. “Nice rock. Who's the lucky guy?”

“Um....I'm not sure you want to know.”

 

 


	14. Compared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... I'm a Pinterest junkie. And I saw a little headcannon from someone about Coulson finding Bucky instead of Hydra. It cracked me up. So I borrowed it for this chapter. The link is at the bottom.

 

Dr. Arnim Zola: I don't eat meat.

Colonel Chester Phillips: Why not?

Dr. Arnim Zola: It disagrees with me.

Colonel Chester Phillips: How about cyanide does that give you the rumbly tummy too?

* * *

 

“Is this okay?” Darcy's counterpart asked. “I figured staying with me would be more comfortable than one of those impersonal guest rooms. Plus. I have booze.”

“Booze would be good,” Darcy admitted. “And a change of clothes would be nice.”

“Yeah, I was gonna say, nice threads. Are men's suit jackets a fashionable thing in your world?”

“No...I was wearing this sundress and got sent to a world where it was the 1930's and a gentleman gave me his jacket because he thought it was a nightgown.”

“Oh. Kay. Closet is that way...help yourself.”

Darcy took in the closet full of dark colored clothes. She was more of a brights girl, herself. But at least her counterpart preferred natural fibers. She settled on a pair of ripped blue jeans and a plain navy tee shirt. While she dressed, she called out, “Not that I'm not super grateful, but I'm surprised at how nice everyone is being. I'd expect a little more suspicion.”

“We checked you out before you regained consciousness. The in house cameras caught you hopping in. The vibrational frequencies of the portal behind you were clearly an alternate universe's. We just had to wait for you to wake up and then not lie. And you didn't. Plus, Bucky said, and believe me I hate to admit he's right, no way an invasion force would consist of one unconscious woman and a baby flerken.”

Darcy sat down on the couch next to her counterpart, who promptly offered her an overly full glass of red wine.

“So...what exactly is your story, sister?”

Darcy shrugged. “It's a long one.”

“Well, I already got the short one. Dimensional portals, flerkens and gunshot wounds. Right?”

“That pretty much covers it. Monica shot me and pushed me through a dimensional portal. Fortunately, I landed in Wakanda.”

“Ah, Shuri can fix pretty much anything,” the other Darcy nodded.

“And then I guess my cat has been trying to get me home ever since.”

“Are you ending up in the same place every time? Here, at the Tower?”

“No. Why?”

“Well, usually when you're dealing with inter-dimensional travel you have an anchor of some kind. A place. An object. A particular event. Or a person.”

Darcy smiled to herself and the name tumbled out of her mouth, “Bucky.”

“No way. _Barnes_ is your anchor?” Darcy's counterpart visibly shuddered. “Please tell me that it's your intense, passionate, hatred that is drawing you to him.”

“It's something passionate all right,” Darcy grinned over the rim of her wine glass and then wiggled her ring finger.

“Noooo!” the other Darcy flopped on the couch. “He's so irritating! And smug!”

“And hot?”

Her counterpart closed her eyes and admitted, “Oh my god, so so hot.”

“You don't actually hate him at all, do you?”

“I've vacillated between wanting to hit him and hit _that_ , ever since Coulson pulled him out of the ice.”

“Coulson? Not...Zola?”

“Zola? The guy who experimented on him when he was a POW after Azzano? That dude is way dead. He swallowed a cyanide capsule as soon as they captured him. Bucko was a Sarge-cicle until Coulson got a wild hair and decided to go looking for Cap's old pal Bucky. That was just after Coulson got his new team.”

Darcy took it all in. No torture at the hands of HYDRA. No mind wipes. No assassinations. Just sleep, until he was thawed from the ice. Just like Steve.

The other Darcy kept talking, “I was there when Coulson brought Cap in to see him. Barnes yelled at Steve for two straight hours about crashing that plane in the Arctic and generally being a reckless idiot. It was the best day.”

Darcy's counterpart finally noticed the contemplative look on her face and narrowed her eyes at Darcy. “Why what happened in your world?”

“Zola and HYDRA tortured Bucky for seventy years. Brainwashed him, cryogenically froze him, experimented on him, completely wiped his entire identity and turned him into an assassin. Steve made him remember who he was. Shuri healed his mind and removed HYDRA's programming.”

“Jesus. Poor Barnes,” the other Darcy took more than a few sips of her wine before she asked, “How the hell do you get over something like that?”

“He still has nightmares. Bad days. But he's got good friends and....”

“...a good woman?” Darcy's counterpart held up her glass of wine and Darcy clinked it with hers.

“Damn straight.”

“God. Hydra. I forgot they were even a thing.”

“Well, they were in my world. They even infiltrated SHIELD. The conspiracy went all the way up to Alexander Pierce.”

“Got good news for you; I don't have a clue who that is.”

It made sense. No 'fist of HYDRA' to solidify their power through assassinations. “That's a relief,” Darcy said sincerely.

“So, what do you do for SHIELD, or, what do you call it, the Avengers Initiative? Besides, of course, _doing Barnes_?”

Darcy couldn't help but chuckle at that. “I'm the head of Public Relations. You?”

“I'm the head of the forensics lab.”

“Damn. We are badass,” Darcy put her glass out for another clink.

“I still can't get over you and Barnes. I can't deal with him without it descending into childish name calling. What's your secret? How'd you get the magic touch?”

“Trust me, he's the one with the magic touch.”

“Ugh!” She shivered in disgust and then stopped and thought, “...wait, seriously? Like how magic are we talking here? Is it like, 'that was nice', 'that was awesome' or 'holy crap you're killing me, I'm not gonna be able to walk for days'?”

“Let's just say that Natasha had to put together a 'surviving supersoldier sex kit' for me.”

“Holy shit. Maybe I should be nicer to him,” the other Darcy chugged what was left of her wine and poured herself another. “Okay, let's be honest, we're not gonna pass the Bechdel test tonight anyway. Barnes's fault, by the way. Who's with who? Gossip me up.”

“Well...Pepper and Tony.”

“Obvs. Here too.”

“Wanda and Vision.”

This earned Darcy a head shake. “I don't know any Wanda.”

Darcy realized out loud, “No HYDRA. Wanda and Pietro didn't get powers.”

“Who else?” the other Darcy asked, with a little hop in her seat.

“Sam and Daisy. Steve and Nat.”

“Whoa! Wait up. Sam, as in Steve's Sam?”

“Yeah. Steve's friend Sam.”

“Steve's _boyfriend_ Sam,” her counterpart corrected.

“Really?” Darcy took a chug of her wine. “I just pictured that and it's kind of hot.”

“Right? And Nat has been with Clint forever.”

“They're just friends on my earth. Frankly, Clint's a disaster. And Daisy? Do you know her?”

“Daisy Johnson? Yeah. She and Grant Ward like to pretend that they aren't a thing. But they totally are.”

“Hmm,” Darcy sipped her wine and decided not to tell her that Ward was a HYDRA agent on her earth. “And Bucky? He with anyone?” Darcy almost didn't want to hear the response.

“Do you really want to know?”

“I really don't. Don't know why I asked.”

“Does your Bucky treat you right?”

“Very right.”

“Good. Because if he didn't, I'd take a portal to your world and taze his ass.”

There was a forceful knock on the door. Darcy's counterpart knitted her brows in confusion, clearly not expecting any company. Her eyes widened in shock when she opened the door to Nick Fury.

“Coulson said there is a flerken here.”

Darcy tensed in fear. What did he want with Gretel? Maybe her impressions of this world had been wrong. Maybe SHIELD was some nefarious organization.

She almost tore Gretel out of his arms when he scooped her up.

Until...

He started cooing at her while she purred and flopped around with joy in his arms. “Hello, beautiful girl. Aren't you the sweetest girl? Yes, you are. Yes, you are.”

Simultaneously, the two Darcy's said, “That's disturbing.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://ift.tt/2QL3k1q?BlfE04K


	15. Frustrated

“That's Captain America?” Peter peered into the face of an unconscious pre-serum Steve Rogers.

“No. _That_ is my pal Steve before he stupidly enlisted in the army as a lab rat. And before he got the physical capabilities to actually do the idiotic things he always wanted to do.”

“But not before he gave you ulcers,” Natasha added with a smile.

“The punk still gives me ulcers.”

“At least you aren't alone in that anymore.”

“I don't know how you do it, Nat,” Bucky shook his head. “Darcy's reckless, but not Steve-level reckless.”

“She also doesn't have Steve-level superpowers.”

“Don't remind me. Hey Gwennie, any chance you gonna get those readings done before Steve wakes up?”

“Do you want to portal into a wall? Or a slab of concrete? Or in midair?”

“No,” Peter said sincerely, “We don't want to do that.”

“Then be patient. I'm working on it. If he wakes up then make up some lie.”

“I'll just knock him out again,” Natasha mumbled.

“Jesus, Nat. What is wrong with you? That's Steve!” Bucky pointed at the small man unconscious on the couch.

“He insinuated that I was old.”

“That doesn't sound like...”

“I was flirting with him. Really working him and suddenly, out of the blue, he called me ma'am. And don't make try to make excuses like, 'it was how you were raised' because my Steve never calls me ma'am. And you don't call me ma'am.”

“I call Darcy ma'am,” he admitted with a sly smile.

“I have never heard you call her that.”

“She's bossy in bed...” Two pairs of wide-eyed teenagers turned towards them. “Shit,” Bucky muttered, “I keep forgetting they're here.”

Peter smiled, “Best. Mission. Ever.”

* * *

 

It was well after midnight, but Darcy couldn't sleep. Her counterpart assured her she could go anywhere on the floor, so she wandered until she found herself in a common area. There was a breakfast counter with bar stools and, thank god, a coffee maker. So Darcy helped herself. She held the warm mug in one hand and stared out the window of SHIELD tower. Gretel had followed her and she was curled up on the counter while Darcy absently rubbed one of her ears.

“Can't sleep?” Darcy jumped in her seat and turned to see Bucky standing behind her.

“Sorry doll, didn't mean to scare you.”

“Doll,” Darcy chuckled nervously, “I can't get over that nickname.”

“What do I call you in your world?” he asked, facing her and leaning his elbow against the countertop.

“Um...Darcy?”

Bucky cocked his head to the side and appraised her knowingly. His eyes swept down over her and back up, and all the while he was holding his bottom lip between his teeth in that way that made her heart race.

And yet, it was just a little bit off. His eyes held all the mischief of her Bucky. But not nearly enough of the gravitas.

“Is that right?” he murmured, “You call me babe and I call you... Darcy?”

“Well...that's my name...” she tried to put a little playful tone in her voice. She failed.

There was a heady tension in the air. She could almost see the current of electricity between them. The silence became heavier and heavier until she admitted, “Darlin' or Sassy.”

He let out a soft chuckle, “Sassy. That's the right word, I guess.”

“It is. For _your_ Darcy too,” she reminded him.

He nodded. “My Darcy...drives me nuts.”

He sat down on the bar stool and put his chin in his hands. Just like that, the tension between them was gone.

“She hates me,” he said, “and I can't stop thinking about her.”

“She doesn't hate you.” She slid off her bar stool to the other side of the counter to make them each a cup of coffee.

“She was there, you know, when they woke me up. The first thing I saw in seventy years were those big blue eyes. She's had me under her spell ever since.”

“And yet...”

“I know!” He threw his hands up, “The flirting turned to teasing and then it turned to actual insults and she's just _so damned frustrating_.”

Darcy smiled and tried not to laugh.

“It's not funny.”

“It really is. Decaf?” she asked.

“Yes, please.” As she poured his cup he asked, “How'd you meet me, I mean the other me?”

“That's a really long story. You know who Thanos is?”

“No.”

“Then I'm not gonna tell the story because it involves pocket dimensions, infinity stones and driving off of cliffs.”

“Sounds like a good story,” he paused. “You love him?”

“More than anything.”

“He treat you right?”

“Very right, when he's not being an overprotective ass.”

“Can't say I blame him for wanting to protect you, doll. You let him?”

“Most of the time.”

“I tried opening a door for Darcy once. That's how I was raised, you know? I got a thirty-minute lecture about the dangers of casual misogyny.”

Darcy chuckled, “Do you even know what that means?”

“I do now!” He sighed. “I tried to be charming, but she saw right through it. I tried to be polite, and she thought it was condescending. Eventually, I just got...defensive. And now I don't think that Darcy would believe me if I told her how I feel.”

“You could try.” It was Darcy's voice, but it came from behind Bucky.

Darcy locked eyes with her counterpart and nodded. She gave Bucky a squeeze on his arm as she walked by and picked up Gretel. “Just be honest,” she advised Bucky quietly.

To her counterpart she whispered as she went past, “I won't wait up.”

She had almost made it to the other Darcy's room when she was stopped by a voice from around the corner.

“You don't know what you're doing do you?” Nick Fury asked.

She rolled her eyes. In her world, she barely knew Fury. But it seemed both had a flair for the dramatic.

“In life?”

“With the flerken.”

“I don't think I'm doing anything. I think she's running the show.”

“She's trying to give you what you want.”

“What I want is to know that I'll be back in my world sometime in the near future and not still be bouncing between alternate realities.”

“No, Darcy don't...”

With that, Darcy felt herself hop into another reality.

* * *

 

“Um, guys, I think we're about to have company,” Peter announced from the window.

“Is it me?” Bucky asked. He was pretty sure his counterpart would be checking up on Steve pretty soon.

“No. It's Darcy.”

Bucky's heart leaped and he moved toward the door but was stopped by Natasha's arm on his elbow. “It's probably this universe's Darcy. Ours has already gone. Remember?”

Bucky nodded.

“I'll take care of her,” Natasha offered as someone, probably Darcy, knocked on the door.

“Just don't knock her out, okay?”

Bucky stood out of sight, behind the door, when Natasha answered. “Can I help you?”

Darcy's voice was unmistakable and Bucky felt like his heart was being squeezed. He wanted so badly to grab her and sweep her up into his arms.

“Darcy Lewis, reporter for the Daily Bugle. There have been reports that the Spiderman has been seen at this building. I was hoping to find a witness.”

“The Spiderman?” Natasha put her hand up like she was shocked, “How exciting. I just got here. But, my cousin may know something. Can you come by later this evening? Ask for James Barnes.”

“I will! Thank you, ma'am.”

Natasha closed the door with gritted teeth. “She called me ma'am.”

“We're good to go,” Gwen announced.

“Thank god,” Natasha grumbled, “This world is terrible.”

* * *

 

They materialized in a familiar hallway, where a familiar voice announced, “You just missed her. I'm taking readings for you now.”

Peter nudged Gwen and told her, “That's Nick Fury.”

“Your little flerken is taking Darcy on quite the adventure,” Nick focused his eye on Bucky and asked, “She is your flerken, right?”

“We didn't know. We thought she was a cat.”

“Don't feel bad, son. I thought mine was a cat too.”

Natasha asked, “Are you saying that their cat is doing this to Darcy on purpose?”

“No. She's trying to get Darcy home. But your Darcy isn't being clear with her intentions. Must be a Darcy thing, because ours isn't very clear either. Then again she may have figured some shit out...”

Fury nodded toward the entrance to the hall.

Bucky's counterpart was carrying Darcy's counterpart down the hall. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and they were kissing frantically.

Both of them were shirtless, and even though Darcy's breasts were smashed against Bucky's chest so that they weren't really visible, Natasha still covered Peter's eyes.

“Barnes,” Fury greeted casually. “Say hello to your counterpart.”

“T'meecha,” the other Bucky mumbled between kisses. He fiddled with a doorknob, entered an apartment, and slammed the door behind them.

“We should probably go to the lounge before...” Fury began. The door started thumping against the door frame, “before that.”

* * *

 

Darcy materialized in the middle of a rubble-filled street in New York. The smell of smoke burned her nose. Her eyes stung and watered. And she was staring down the barrel of a gun, attached to a cybernetic arm. Her eyes focused on the face that was holding the gun.

“Bucky?”

There was no recognition at all in his eyes, just a cold empty stare.

Darcy tried very hard not to pass out because she had a feeling that if she did, she would certainly die.

A golden blast of energy knocked Bucky off his feet. Darcy's world was spinning and she felt herself being lifted into someone's arms.

“Ms. Lewis. It's been too long.”

“What's up, doc?” she mumbled as she closed her eyes.

 

 

 


	16. Shattered

“This can't be happening,” Darcy mumbled as she rocked back and forth under the blanket that Dr. Palmer had wrapped around her shoulders.

Dr. Strange had pulled her into the Sanctum with his sling ring right before the man that used to be Bucky had fired his gun. She kept seeing the blank look on his face, the gun pointed at her...

“This can't be happening.”

A very uncomfortable Wong complained, “She keeps saying that. It's freaking me out.”

“She's in shock,” Christine explained.

“I think she's justifiably upset,” Dr. Strange told his companion.

“This can't be happening.”

“Maybe we should slap her.”

“Wong!” Christine exclaimed.

“What? She's freaking me out!”

Soft but firm hands held her face and looked into Darcy's eyes, “Darcy, honey, it's Christine. You're gonna be okay. Just breathe.”

Darcy scowled in confusion and then looked up at her friend. “Bucky...he's...”

“She said something different! That's good, right?” Wong briefly sounded relieved until, “...And now she's crying.”

Christine held Darcy and rocked her as she asked, “Any news from the others?”

“Nothing yet,” Strange said.

“Jesus, five years. And she just shows up?”

“Right in the middle of the battle...I should go back to the others. Can you...?”

“Make sure Wong doesn't slap her? Yes.”

“She's freaking me out,” Wong grumbled.

“Okay!” Strange clapped his hands together and said to Wong, “Change of plans! You go. I will stay.”

“Thank god.”

* * *

 

“I don't understand these readings,” Gwen frowned. “They don't make any sense.”

“Can I see?” Peter asked.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Director Fury?”

“Wake up Stark. We need another set of eyes on these readings.”

“Wait,” Peter interrupted, “Um, sorry Mr. Director, sir, but...well... if I'm reading this right, I'm not sure Stark can help us.”

“What do you mean, kid?” Bucky asked.

“Well. It looks like Darcy is back in our universe.”

Gwen added, “Five years in the future.”

“She's... do you mean to tell me that she's in the exact place and time where Strange said....” Bucky couldn't finish the thought.

“Someone explain,” Fury demanded.

It was Natasha who offered, “Dr. Strange warned us that there would be a rift in the multiverse. And it starts in our home. Five years from now.”

“Get us there,” Bucky growled at Gwen.

“I can't. I can move between worlds. But I can't time travel.”

“We were just in 1938!”

Gwen shook her head, “We were in a universe where it's always the 1930's. Time doesn't progress normally there. It's different.”

Bucky spun to Natasha, “You did it once. You traveled through time.” He turned to Fury in desperation, “We need Fitz. He sent Natasha back in time.”

Natasha placed a hand on Bucky's forearm. “Traveling to the future... it's different. Fitz didn't seem to think it was even possible.”

“It has to be possible, or Darcy wouldn't be there!”

* * *

 

Darcy stared out the window at the battle raging just outside of the Sanctum. She should probably be afraid. But she didn't really care anymore.

She watched the man that she had loved stalk the battlefield like a predator. One arm was cybernetic. The other had no hand, just a cannon where his hand should be. An arc reactor was glowing in the middle of his chest. A metal implant covered half his face. Even one of his eyes was covered with a laser sight. He was gone. And there was no chance he was coming back.

He was aiming and firing at his former teammates like he truly was an automaton.

“Darcy, come away from the window,” Strange coaxed.

“I thought you said we were safe here.”

“We are. They cannot visualize the Sanctum. It's like it's invisible.”

“How did this happen? How?”

“AIM reformed after Rappaccini broke them out of the Raft. She created an entity called MODOK. He used to be a lab tech named George Tarleton, but he was nothing but a monstrosity once she was through with him. With the Avengers at half strength...”

“Half strength? Why?”

“Because they never came back. They went after you and never returned. Captain America, War Machine, the Wasp, Black Widow, Spiderman, and your Bucky. You've all been missing for five years.” Strange nodded toward the machine wearing Bucky's face. “He showed up about three years ago. MODOK 2.0.”

“This is all my fault.”

“It is not your fault,” Strange insisted.

“What if we warn them? Like Natasha did to save Pietro? Send a message through time?”

“Would that work?” Christine asked, hopefully

“It may. Yes.”

* * *

 

Strange looked relieved as he finished sending the message through time. But Darcy didn't feel any of that relief.

“Did he.. I mean you...get the message?” Darcy asked, her voice shaking from fear.

She stood guard by the window as Stephen finished the spell, sending what he was seeing right now to himself, five years in the past.

“Yes. I think so.”

“This is so, so bad,” Darcy muttered, holding Gretel tightly in her arms.

She had tried to stop crying but couldn't seem to. Every time she looked out the window she started again.

“Don't look at him,” Strange advised. “Just don't look.”

“I can't seem to stop myself, it's like a nightmare. But it's real.”

“It's not supposed to be. This is not the future that I saw on Titan.”

“Bucky,” she whispered, looking out at the machine.

“Darcy.” Strange turned her by the shoulders to face him. “This is not our future. We will prevent this. I swear it to you.”

Darcy stopped trying to stop the tears. She surrendered to body-wracking sobs until Strange pulled her in to comfort her. She held Gretel in her arms and thought to herself that she hadn't done enough to save Bucky. And with that thought, she felt herself moving between dimensions again.

* * *

 

Bucky sat in the common room of the SHIELD tower with his head in his hands.

Peter and Gwen were meeting with this universe's Stark, Fitz and Jane Foster, trying to figure out a way to travel both between dimensions and through time. None of them seemed optimistic.

“Barnes?”

Natasha dropped her hand on his shoulder before she moved around the couch to sit next to him.

“I talked to Steve. They're still in the first universe that Darcy traveled to. Turns out, that's where Rappaccini went.”

Bucky asked, “They find her?”

“Not yet. That universe is... difficult. The Sokovia Accords are strictly enforced there. Leaving Wakanda is dangerous for them. But they're trying.”

Bucky nodded.

“I know you don't want to hear this...” Natasha broached.

“I'm not giving up on Darcy, Natasha.”

“I'm not asking you to. But I think we should go home. Regroup. Help the team find the Raft escapees.”

“I can't. I have to keep looking for her.”

“James. We're at an impasse here. Traveling to the future is...”

He snapped at her, “Don't say it's impossible.”

They both sat silently until Nat said, “I'm taking Peter home. Gwen needs to get back to her own universe. Why don't you join Steve? Help find Rappaccini?”

Bucky looked up at her, not caring that there were tears in his eyes. “I promised her I would always find her. No matter what.”

Natasha looked confused, “When was this?”

“In the soul stone. When we were being pulled back to the real world. I told her I'd always find her.”

His voice hitched at that and his face fell into his hands. Natasha rubbed small circles on his back as he sobbed.

“I'm sorry, Bucky. I'm so sorry.”

  


 


	17. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the chapter descends into smut.

Darcy crumpled to the ground when she materialized. But this time she managed not to pass out.

And for the first time, it wasn't Bucky that greeted her.

“Darcy?”

“Steve?”

He pulled her into his arms in a hug that was a little too tight.

A touch on her shoulder made her turn and Rhodey was suddenly enveloping her in his own hug.

“She's my friend too, jerks,” Hope Van Dyne complained.

Rhodey handed her over to her friend who hugged her as well.

“Am I home?”

“No,” Hope answered. “And neither are we.”

“This is where Monica hopped to after she escaped from us,” Steve explained.

Darcy's intense hatred of that woman felt like a sickness. Monica was responsible for all of it. She had turned Bucky into the machine that she saw in the future. She had shot her. She had caused half of her friends to get lost bouncing between universes. And Darcy was going to kill her herself if she got the chance.

With a kiss on her forehead, Steve said, “I'm gonna get Tony to send a message to the other team. Bucky's gonna be so relieved.”

“Welcome back, Ms. Lewis.” Shuri stood in the hallway, smiling at her. For the first time since she had arrived in this universe, she actually looked around to see where she was. “How are you feeling?” Shuri asked, “Any problems with your wound?”

“I'm back where I started,” Darcy mused. She smiled at Shuri, “I can barely tell I was shot. You're a magician.”

“Not a magician. Just your friend. As many of us became in your short time with us.”

“There's something else,” Rhodey told her. “You might want to sit down, Darce.”

It was Hope that broke the news, “We think Monica has kidnapped this world's Bucky.”

It all came together for Darcy then. When she saw the machine that AIM had created out of Bucky she had been in such shock that she didn't really register an important fact. There was a little bit of faded red paint on his left shoulder. That was the arm that HYDRA had put on him. The Bucky she saw in the future wasn't her Bucky at all.

“Oh, God. She's going to experiment on him. Turn him into a machine.” She looked back and forth at Hope and Rhodey. “We have to stop her.”

“We're gonna stop her,” Rhodey promised.

“But,” Hope added. “ _You_ have been through enough. We'll get you home.”

“No,” Darcy shook her head stubbornly. “I think Gretel brought me here to save Bucky. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.”

Shuri smiled sweetly at her and offered, “Can I at least convince you to take a room for the night? It's after 3 am.”

Darcy opened her mouth to protest and yawned instead.

“I will take that as a yes,” Shuri laughed.

* * *

  
  


“I still think you're a colossal pain in the ass, Barnes.”

“The feelings mutual, doll.”

Natasha put her finger up to her lips to shush Bucky and Darcy's counterparts as they came into the common room, holding hands. Her Bucky was sleeping, finally, and she didn't want them to wake him. He was sprawled out across her lap. His face was smashed into the couch cushion on one side of her and his legs were dangling off the couch on the other. His right elbow was digging into her belly and the left was hanging, scraping the floor. Natasha's legs were asleep from his weight. She was ridiculously uncomfortable.

And there was no way in hell she was going to let anyone wake him up.

“If you wake him, I will cut you,” Natasha threatened.

“Wow,” Bucky's counterpart said quietly as he sat down across from her. “Our Natasha wouldn't be quite so protective of me.”

“Our Natasha isn't dating your best pal, Steve,” Darcy's counterpart explained to Bucky. To Nat, she said, “Steve's with Sam in our world. And Sam has threatened my life on more than one occasion over this idiot.”

“I didn't know he cared,” Bucky smirked.

“You didn't know _I_ cared, either.” Darcy smiled at Nat. “My Bucky is clueless.”

“Your Bucky?” He grinned.

“You know you're mine. You idiot.”

He shrugged, “I'll admit it. I _was_ an idiot. How long did it take _him_ to figure it out?” He nodded down to Natasha's Bucky.

“A few days...both times.”

“This sounds like a story,” Bucky prompted.

“Thanos never came here?”

Darcy shook her head.

“Darcy and Bucky and a lot of our friends got trapped in a pocket dimension in the facet of an infinity stone. They fell in love. Made a life. Even got married. Then, a year later, we got them out. They didn't remember their life there, not at first. And they fell in love all over again. It took about three days. It took Steve and I about five years.”

“It was awesome,” Peter Parker remarked as he entered the room, with Gwen at his heels. “You should have seen them in the soul stone. At first, they got all tongue tied over each other. Then one day they just clicked. And pretty soon we'd all look at them and say, 'that is what I want someday.' You could just tell that they're soul mates. I guess you are too.”

Natasha smiled down at the way this Bucky and Darcy were twining their fingers together. Constantly touching. Her Bucky and Darcy did that too. The idea of them being separated forever broke her heart. Natasha wiped away an errant tear. “Pete, I know we said we'd go home but...”

“We can keep trying,” he offered, “to get Darcy back. I don't mind if we keep trying.”

Natasha was interrupted by a buzzing in her ear. “Hey Romanoff, it's Stark. I got a message from Rogers. You aren't gonna believe it. She's with them. Darcy showed up there.”

“Give me the readings,” she instructed, shaking Bucky by the shoulder to rouse him. She beamed up at Peter who mouthed, “Darcy?”

Natasha nodded and let the tears fall out of her eyes.

Peter shook Bucky's shoulder a little harder than Natasha did. “Sir? You have to wake up.”

“Whaddya want kid?” he mumbled.

It was Natasha who answered, “She's with Steve. Darcy is with Steve.”

Bucky rolled off the couch and was quickly on his feet. “What? They found her?”

Nat shook her head and laughed, “I think she found them.”

“I'm putting in the numbers now,” Gwen told him.

Bucky looked over at his counterpart, and Darcy's as well. They both looked like they were about to cry too.

“We're so happy for you,” Darcy said.

“And when you see her,” Bucky's counterpart asked, “Can you tell her thank you, for this?” He held up his and Darcy's entwined hands.

* * *

 

Darcy tossed and turned. She was relatively safe. She was obviously exhausted. The bed was soft and luxurious.

So why couldn't she sleep?

She heard the door crack open and she complained, “Hope, I told you, I'm fine. You're hovering more than Steve and that's saying something.”

She sat up and blinked a few times. She almost couldn't believe her eyes.

“Babe?”

“Hey Sassy.”

Darcy jumped out of the bed and launched herself into his arms. There was a pull in her abdomen, where Shuri had repaired her gunshot wound. But she only noticed it for a second. Then all she felt was Bucky. The warmth of his chest pressed against hers. The strength of his arms around her. The sound of his breath against her neck. And the faint smell of salt on his skin.

“You've been crying,” she said, noting the red rims to his eyes.

“So've you,” he murmured back, “Darlin, I'm so sorry.”

She pulled back to look at his face. Darcy traced the lines of his jaw, “What for, babe?”

“For picking that fight. If I had known...”

“There's no way you could have... If I hadn't been so trusting...”

“It's one of the things I love about you.” He pressed kisses onto her forehead, the tip of her nose and her lips and then pulled her back in tight, “God, I thought I'd lost you.”

“I wasn't worried,” she lied. “We'll always find each other. We promised.”

He rested his forehead against hers, breathing against her lips.

They stood there, breathing in each other, touching each other's hands and arms. Each breath became more ragged, more filled with desire. And that lovely, hazy feeling enveloped her.

Darcy found herself fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. “This is a nice suit, Bucky Bear.”

“Well...we were dressed for 1938,” he explained as he looked down to watch her diligently undo each button.

“You look handsome.”

“Whatcha doin' Darce?”

She smiled up at him, “Post mission nookie? Is that okay?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Bucky toed off his shoes.

“Good,” she whispered.

Darcy eased Bucky's shirt and jacket off his shoulders and let them fall to the floor. She traced his arms with her fingers with whispery, feathery touches. She kissed his jawline, letting the prickly hairs of his beard skim across her lips.

“I missed you, babe,” she said as she drew her hands down his chest to the waistband of his pants.

“Missed you too.”

“That's becoming obvious,” she teased as she unbuttoned his pants and eased them off of his hips to fall to the ground next to his shirt.

“This isn't your usual bedroom attire,” he commented while tracing the contours of her body over her cotton nightgown.

“Shockingly, they didn't have one of your old t-shirts handy for me.”

“You look good in 'em,” he said as he nibbled on her earlobe.

“And the fact that I go commando under 'em?”

“Yeah. I like that too.”

“Then you'll like what's underneath this nightie.”

Bucky cocked an eyebrow at her and lifted the hem enough to place his hands on her thighs. He slid his palms up all the way to her ribs and then back down to cup her bottom. “Hold on,” he commanded as he lifted her up and then deposited her back on the bed. She lifted her nightgown up and off and reached for him. “Want you.”

He shook his head with a dark look in his eyes, “Nope. You are in for a round of 'I told you so's' first.”

He drew his fingertips up the sole of her foot, prompting her to kick out and laugh. “No! No tickling.”

“You'll keep your ICER charged from now on, right?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” He kissed the arch of her foot and then ran his tongue up from her ankle to her knee. “And you'll keep your purse in your hands so you can actually reach your ICER, right?”

“Swear to god.”

“Good.” Bucky nibbled up her inner thigh and then darted his tongue out to just touch her folds.

Darcy arched her hips in expectation and groaned in disappointment when he pulled back, “And you'll promise not to scare me like that again?”

“I promise, babe.”

“Good,” he growled.

He drew his thumb down across the bundle of nerves that were already swollen and wet. Two fingers slid inside her, eliciting a low moan from both of them.

He replaced his thumb with his mouth, kissing, licking and sucking while his fingers were dancing across that spot inside her that always drove her crazy.

A string of nonsense fell past her lips punctuated by a desperate cry of release. He entered her as she came down from her climax, setting off another.

“Jesus, Sassy,” Bucky whispered in her ear. “You're gonna kill me.”

Darcy rocked her hips up against him. “More,” she begged as she ran her foot down his leg.

“Yes, ma'am,” he promised, just before she grabbed his face and demanded a deep, filthy kiss. He began to move inside her then. Slowly at first until his thrusts became insistent and even desperate.

“That's it, babe,” she coaxed. “Let go for me.”

A few more thrusts and she felt him fall over the edge. He let his weight fall half on her, pressing her into the mattress. And they stayed that way until their cat decided that she wanted to knead her claws into his bare back.

“Little demon is giving me acupuncture,” he complained.

They rolled to face each other, with Gretel's furry body between them.

Darcy reached out and touched his face and smiled, “Get some sleep, babe. We've got a lot ahead of us.”

  
  


 

 


	18. Exhausted

“Darlin', you need to get some sleep,” Bucky instructed Darcy, as he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

She rubbed the tip of her nose against his. “Look who's talking.”

“Don't wanna sleep.” Bucky rubbed her thumb gently across her lower lip. “Wanna look at you.”

“You're not fooling me, babe,” she said as she ran her fingers across the smattering of hair on his chest. “You don't want to sleep for the same reason I don't.”

“Don't want to wake up and find you not here,” he admitted.

“I was really scared, Bucky,” Darcy cast her eyes down and her voice trembled, “When she shot me... and she was wearing my face...it was...”

“She didn't fool anyone, sweetheart,” he reassured her with a gentle kiss. “Not for even a minute.”

“You knew she wasn't me?” she asked quietly.

“Right away.”

“What about the others?”

“Well, Natasha...” Bucky smiled faintly, about to tell her that Natasha identified the imposter by Darcy's cup size.

“No,” Darcy interrupted, “the other versions of me. Did you meet any of them? Confuse us?”

“Well, I only met one. And she had her lips and pretty much everything else plastered against that world's me, so no confusion there.” He placed another soft kiss on Darcy's lips, “They say thank you, by the way. I take it you did some matchmaking.”

“They were adorably clueless,” she smiled faintly.

“Nat did some matchmaking too,” he told her, trying to pull her out of her melancholy, “In that one world where we were living in the thirties...? Nat made sure 'Intrepid Reporter Darcy Lewis' interviewed my counterpart about the Spiderman. I stayed out of sight.”

“Peter was there?” her smile got a little wider.

“Mmm hmm. Watching you from the window.”

She knitted her brows but then smiled again, “That's a little creepy.”

“Our Peter thought so too. Did you meet the me in that universe?”

“Briefly,” she nodded. “I passed out after the jump. Woke up in Steve's apartment, and just as the other you came back, Gretel hopped me to the next place. At least, I think Gretel did it.” Darcy reached down to stroke the cat who had nestled herself between their bellies. “Apparently, she's a flerken? I don't know what that means exactly. But she kept bringing me to versions of you.”

“She's an inter-dimensional alien. And Fury thinks she was trying to get you back to me. But that you weren't being specific enough.”

“I didn't realize she came with an instruction manual.” At this, Gretel rolled over and showed her furry tummy and began to purr loudly.

“When you hopped from this world into thirties world, do you remember what you were thinking?”

“About your hand. This one,” she played with the fingers on his left hand. “This universe's Bucky still has the arm that Hydra... Monica is going to do horrible things to him, babe. I think I'm back here because I want to save him.” She swallowed hard, “We have to save him.”

“What did you see? Gwen said you were in the future.”

“I thought Monica had done it to _you_ ,” she choked off a sob. “But it was him. It was like a nightmare. I...” Tears pooled in her eyes so Bucky stopped her with another kiss.

“You don't have to talk about it, Darcy. I'm sorry.” This time the sobs came. Bucky pressed his forehead against hers and placed his hand at the nape of her neck. “Shh. I'm sorry.”

“She's a monster, babe. She has to be stopped.”

“We will. Together.”

* * *

 

“You should have woke us up,” Bucky grumbled for the third time since arriving in Shuri's lab.

“Not a chance,” Steve smiled back. “You both needed sleep.”

“I slept in the last world,” Bucky said.

“And I slept after every jump,” Darcy added.

Bucky gave her a side-eye. “Passing out doesn't count, Sassy.”

“How'd you know I passed out?”

“Because Natasha almost did.”

Steve offered, “Rhodey puked.”

From across the lab, Rhodey protested. “I had a heavy breakfast!”

Gwen Stacy approached with an electronic pad in her hand and Peter Parker by her side. “Jumping can be hard on normal humans. Sorry.”

“Gwennie,” Bucky introduced, “this is Darcy.”

“You sent us on quite the adventure,” Gwen smiled.

“Thank you, for helping me.”

“No problem. Although I think I learned a little too much about super-soldier sex habits,” she made an 'ick' face.

“No!” Darcy swung to face Bucky with her hands on her hips, “You corrupted my Petey?”

“I missed you, Darcy.” Peter gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Missed you too, Puppy.”

An angry voice yelled from the hallway, “Rogers! Why the hell did you let me sleep in?”

Bucky leaned over to Steve to tell him, “You're in trouble with Natasha.”

“I'm always in trouble with Natasha.”

Natasha went to Darcy first and hugged her tightly, “Hey baby girl. Glad you're safe.”

Then she gave Steve a fake dirty look and asked, “How much did I miss because of my idiot boyfriend?”

“You haven't missed anything that we cannot fill you in on,” Shuri assured her as she approached. “Miss Stacy and I have been analyzing the video of Miss Lewis's abduction. There are actually two different vibrational frequencies. One was the universe I believe she intended to send you to, and then when Gretel jumped in after Darcy, the trajectory changed. And you ended up here.”

“Gretel took the wheel,” Bucky mused.

“I wonder why.”

Shuri answered Darcy, “Your Gretel may have steered you here for many different reasons. Perhaps she felt that this world was safer. Perhaps in that world...”

“I'm dead,” Bucky finished.

Shuri nodded. “Perhaps.”

“Do we need to go there?” Bucky asked. “Reconnaissance?”

“Peter and I already did,” Gwen admitted, “While you were sleeping. It's...bad.”

“The snap,” Peter explained. “They haven't undone it there.”

“So I _am_ dead there.”

“Stop saying that,” Darcy scolded.

“What? I'm sure there are _lots_ of universes where I'm dead. I am a hundred years old, Darce.” He teased. But the look she gave him was not one of amusement.

“Anyway...” Gwen rolled her eyes at the 'adults' in the room. “We landed in Monica's apartment. And I found quite a lot. We have an idea of what she's planning.”

“Do we know where she took Bucky?” Darcy asked. Her Bucky squeezed her hand.

“Not yet,” Steve admitted.

“But I know what she's planning to do with him,” Gwen said.

“So do I,” Darcy reminded her.

“What exactly did you see in the future?” Steve asked her.

Bucky answered for her. “You know that show we watched? Star Trek? With the Borg?”

Steve exhaled, “Jesus. That's what she is planning?”

“Resistance is futile,” Peter said under his breath.

Gwen shook her head. “She doesn't know who she's dealing with. Let me show you what I've got...”

As Gwen briefed the team on what she had found, Darcy drifted over to where a map of possible locations for this universe's Bucky was displayed. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and for the first time in a long time, she seemed closed off.

“You're not really mad at me, are you Sassy?” Bucky asked quietly.

She turned and gave him a soft smile and snuggled up against his chest. “Furious,” she said as his arms came around her.

“I promise no more jokes about being dead,” he promised as he kissed the top of her head. “We're gonna find him, Darce.”

Darcy nodded. “I know.”

“You got pretty attached, huh?”

“Yes. No. We barely talked. But, Jesus babe, he's lost everything. It just breaks my heart. I want him to find peace.” She paused and then added, “And I don't want him to be turned into a cyborg. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. So if you're thinking you need to be jealous...”

“I'm not.” He ran his finger down her face and tilted her chin up. “I trust you. I trust us.”

He let out a soft chuckle.

“What?”

“You're worried about me being jealous of another version of me.”

“Our lives are weird, babe.”

 

 

 

 

 

 


	19. Reinforced

* * *

“You okay?” Darcy asked as she joined this universe's Natasha on the balcony. Down below, Darcy's Natasha and Steve were loading the quinjet before Steve and Bucky left to check out one of the possible locations where Monica could be keeping the other Bucky.

She couldn't hear their conversation but she could hear laughter.

“I never told him how I felt,” Natasha stated, matter-of-factly. “I guess she did.”

“We can send them back to our universe,” Darcy offered. “If it's too hard for you. We have plenty of other team members that can...”

“Better than him?” Natasha interrupted. “Can any of them do the job better than Steve?”

Darcy shrugged, “We can bring over Tony. But I'm not sure that would be any easier.”

“No. It wouldn't be. We barely knew Peter, so we're all kind of okay with him being here. But I think having Steve here is hard enough. Seeing Tony or Clint would be...” she paused, “Is Clint happy? In your world?”

“As happy as a human disaster can be, I suppose.”

“And Laura and the kids?”

Darcy was genuinely puzzled, “Who?”

“Clint's wife?”

Darcy shook her head. “Another difference, I guess. No wife. And the only 'kids' are Kate, Wanda, and Pietro.”

“Pietro Maximoff? He's alive?”

“Yeah,” Darcy said softly.

“Your world sounds nice,” Natasha sighed.

“Can I ask?” Darcy paused before she dove in, “I haven't seen Sam. Or Vision. Daisy. Kate. Are they...? Bucky didn't mention them being killed.”

“Sam and Vision are prisoners on the RAFT. We tried to break them out once. It didn't go well.”

“So, let's go get them now. You're never gonna have more help than you do now.”

“You want to go guns blazing into a government prison?”

“I prefer a good Taser. But yeah.”

 

* * *

 

“Absolutely not,” Bucky crossed his arms over his chest.

“Not asking permission, babe.”

“You are not participating in a raid on the RAFT.”

“See, that's where you are mixed up. You are the one that is not participating in a raid on the RAFT.”

“Darcy...” he began.

“You're enhanced. I'm not. You're subject to the Accords. I'm not. If I get caught...”

“You'll go to prison!”

“Then I won't get caught.”

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay. I'm not gonna say no again because you'll just dig in your heels. I'm gonna beg: please don't do this.”

“It's _Sam_ , Bucky. Not your Sam exactly. But it's still Sam. And I'm just support. I'm not leaving the jet. I swear.”

Two Natashas stood side by side, waiting for Darcy. “Which one of you do I have to blame for putting ideas in her head?”

“It was all her,” one of them responded.

“But it's a solid plan,” the other added.

“Shit. I don't know which one of you is which.”

“Our Nat is on your right,” Darcy supplied helpfully.

“You're not gonna back down here, are you?” Bucky growled.

“Probably not.”

“Even after you promised not to do anything crazy.”

“I don't recall that promise. I promised not to scare you. And I don't intend to. Babe, please support me in this. I have to help.”

He ran his hand over his face in frustration but acquiesced, “Can I at least call for some reinforcements?”

“How soon can they get here?” One Natasha asked.

“Because we have a timeline,” the other finished.

“Knowing Stark? Very soon.” He shook his head and mumbled, “Jesus Christ. Two Natashas. Thank god there's only one Darcy.”

“Yeah. About that...”

* * *

  


“You want us to kidnap a United States Congresswoman?” Okoye asked in shock as they stood on the tarmac.

“I didn't say kidnap,” Darcy turned to Bucky and asked, “Did I say kidnap? We want you to calmly and reasonably ask her to come with you.”

“And if she won't?” Okoye asked.

“Well then, yeah, kidnap her.”

At this, T'Challa and Shuri both started to chuckle.

“Darcy...” Bucky scolded.

“Do you have a better plan?”

“Yes. Wait for reinforcements.”

Bucky audibly groaned when a portal opened and Sam, Kate, and Daisy stepped through from their world. Sam's eyes rolled up into his head and he crumpled to the ground. Kate swayed and looked a little bit green. And Daisy beamed a big smile their way. “Reinforcements have arrived. Such as they are.”

“Great!” Darcy bounced a little bit. “Daisy, you're with Steve and Bucky. Katie-Kate, you're with me and Natasha, and the other Natasha...”

Kate held up her finger to say, 'wait', and then threw up into the grass. “Okay. I'm good now.”

“You were medically cleared for this?” Bucky asked.

“Yes, dumbass. I was medically cleared for this.”

Darcy looked down at Sam who was starting to wake up. “Someone tell him that he's going with Okoye? Mission briefings on the flights. Let's go!”

“She's evil,” Sam muttered from his prone position on the ground. “That woman is evil.”

“Don't I know it,” Bucky told him as he helped him to his feet.

“What's the mission?” Sam asked.

“You're kidnapping Darcy.”

 

 


	20. Rescued

Monica Rappaccini stood back and admired her work. MODOK was nearly completed. George Tarleton's personality had been completely wiped away, thanks to HYDRA's chair. The cybernetic enhancements were being perfected by Cassandra Killian at this very moment.

It had taken three tries to find the perfect world to unleash her plans upon. Her own world was too weak, too decimated by Thanos. The second was too strong. The Avengers were too well organized. But she had at least rescued the scientists who would form AIM from their prison and brought them here.

This world was just right. She would have to remember to thank Darcy Lewis for leading her here. The Avengers were in hiding. General Ross was a fool who was easily seduced and he was more than willing to provide her with human guinea pigs. And now, she had everything she needed to create an army of cybernetic super-soldiers.

“You're not going to get away with this,” Captain America predictably told her from his cell.

“Of course I am, Captain. Your friends think you are dead. They have for years. No one is coming to rescue you.”

She ran her hand across the cold bars of his cell. “It was so nice of General Ross to give you to me. You and Stark and your little toy robot. I'm going to learn so much from you all. And Karl? He's just itching to get his hands on your buddy Barnes.”

“Leave Bucky alone!”

She stuck out her bottom lip and mocked, “Leave Bucky alone! It's not like he has anything to live for, Captain. After all, you were all he had. And he thinks you're dead. Soon, he'll be as good as dead too.”

* * *

  
  


Darcy sighed in frustration. “You're being stubborn. Hold still.”

“I'm fine,” Peter Parker argued as he pulled back from her. Darcy placed the cold pack back on the young man's forehead. Her Peter would have leaned into her and accepted the help gratefully. Then again, “You were presumed dead and put in a prison where you had a power dampener around your neck 24-7. You aren't fine.”

“I meant the bump on my forehead, Miss Lewis. I'm fine. Really.” His soft puppy-dog expression was exactly like her Peter's just then, and Darcy couldn't help but place a soft kiss on his forehead. “Kiss to make it better,” she insisted.

This world's Natasha was fussing over Barton while Darcy's Natasha piloted the jet.

Kate flitted between the other evacuees. “Scott? You need a blanket? Sam? Water? Matt, you need to lay down and rest. Jessica...”

Jessica pointed at Kate and promised, “I swear if you try to baby me, Merida....”

Kate put her hands on her hips and looked over at Darcy. “Jessica Jones is Jessica Jones. No matter what world we're in.”

“Fucking multiverse. I need a drink.” Jess sank into the seat of the quinjet.

Darcy heard Natasha whisper again to Clint, “I can't believe you are alive.”

“Laura?”

“She's fine. She misses you.”

Kate glanced over at them with a lost look on her face. She had opened his cell on the RAFT, and greeted him with a hug. Kate's reaction to Clint's, “Do I know you?” broke Darcy's heart a little.

To her own Natasha, Darcy asked, “We free to communicate with Wakanda yet?”

“I'd like to put just a little more airspace between us and the RAFT before we do that. Believe me, I want to tell them that their Steve and Tony are alive as much as you do, Darce.”

Darcy approached the front of the jet and sat next to Nat. “The question is: Where the hell are they and are they with Bucky? Maybe that's two questions.”

“I knew General Ross was a piece of garbage. But I didn't think that he would go so far as to sell Stark, Vis, and Steve to AIM for experimentation.”

Darcy shrugged, “On the plus side, we can bring our Stark over now without causing irreparable damage to this group's collective psyches.”

“Stark could still cause irreparable damage to their psyches. He's certainly damaged ours,” Nat snarked.

Darcy glanced back at this universe's Peter and wondered aloud, “You sure the spider babies got home okay?”

“Stark said Peter made it home. No way to know for sure about Gwen. But considering it was her tech we used as a prototype in the first place...”

“Spider babies?” This universe's Peter complained, “Really?”

“You're tiny and adorable,” Darcy stated bluntly. “Deal with it.”

Natasha smiled and then told Darcy, “I'm gonna turn on communications. I'll fill T'Challa in. Get some rest, Darce.”

“Not until I know Bucky and Steve are safe.”

“Which ones?”

“Ours.”

“I'll check in on them first. Promise.”

Darcy couldn't sit still while Nat went through all the encryptions and safeguards to communicate with Wakanda. Instead, she made the rounds, checking on the passengers that had been freed from their imprisonment on the RAFT.

“You're shivering,” she noticed. “Let me grab you a blanket.”

“I'm fine,” Sam said softly, “I don't want to be any trouble.”

“Sam...” she scolded as she grabbed a blanket out of the warmer. “You've had a hell of a night. I think you've earned a warm blanket.”

“Thank you, for getting us out. I didn't know you were a vigilante when you weren't in Washington.”

“I'm not that Darcy,” she explained. “I'm from another universe. See?” She pointed to the two redheads, “Two Natashas.”

“Yeah. Thought I was hallucinating that,” Sam muttered sleepily.

“Why would you hallucinate two Natashas?”

This earned her a small smile, but nothing like the mega-watt ones she was used to from her Sam.

Natasha called back, “Daisy said she got our boys safely back to Wakanda. The facility was empty but they left some Octobots behind.”

“And my counterpart?”

“She's on her way to Wakanda too. Apparently, she's a real firecracker. She found our Sam quite charming and wants to help. They want to go through all of the surveillance footage we got from the raft. She's taking it to the press.” Natasha turned her attention to Bishop, “Katie? Can you send everything we got off of the RAFT to Daisy for decryption?”

“She's been fighting for us for a while now,” Sam said quietly.

“What's that, Sam?” Darcy asked.

“Congresswoman Lewis. She's been trying to help us. That CIA guy told me that. Never saw him again.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Yeah. Ross. No relation to the general.”

“Everett Ross?” Natasha asked.

“Yeah. Guy seemed pretty pissed off about us being there.”

Natasha nodded. “I'll have T'Challa contact Everett Ross with the CIA too. He might be helpful. Get some sleep you two.”

* * *

  
  


“Bucky?” Darcy poked her head into the door of their suite.

“In here, Darce,” he called out.

Darcy went into the bathroom where he stood, shirtless in front of the mirror. His back was covered in bruises and the reflection in the mirror showed similar bruises, including one blooming across his cheek. He was suturing a cut on his right bicep.

“Ouch, babe. Did you go to medical?”

“Of course I went to medical. I was with Steve-the nag-Rogers and Daisy- the other nag- Johnson. You'd think they'd never seen a little cut before.”

“And you didn't have someone suture it up for you because....?”

“The group you brought in needed more attention than I did. They're malnourished as hell. Sam and Clint have broken bones that didn't heal right. I think General Ross may have tortured them for information.”

Darcy switched focus from Bucky's physical condition to his mental one. She placed a soft kiss between his shoulder blades. “You okay, babe?”

“Yeah, bruises will be gone by morning.”

“Not what I meant.”

“Yeah...” Bucky snipped off the suture and tossed the scissors and needle onto the counter. “I know what you meant.”

He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her head with a sigh. “I'm all right. Every time I remember how cruel people can be, someone reminds me of how good they can be too.”

“Yeah?” Darcy asked quietly.

“Yeah. I met your counterpart. She's good. Kind. You'll like her.”

“I'm a little intimidated by her. She's a congresswoman.”

“Don't be,” he let out a single chuckle, “She dropped a cup of coffee all over T'Challa and then embarrassed the hell out of both of them when she tried to wipe it off of his pants.”

“Ha. She's like _exactly_ like me, then.”

“Yep. But you're to be preferred, darlin.”

“You're just saying that because we belong in the same universe.”

“Nah. I'm saying that because you belong to me.”

  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	21. Hopped

“You're taking the whole team this time?” Darcy pleaded.

Even with all of Bucky's bruises faded, the angry cut on his arm remained, reminding her that even if the facility they were about to raid was devoid of their targets, it may still be full of Octobots.

“The whole team,” Bucky promised. “Everyone from our earth is going. Everyone from this earth is staying here in Wakanda.”

“With one glaring exception.”

“I don't want you to go with us, Darcy.”

She patted his chest affectionately. “And how often do you get what you want, Buck?”

“Since I met you? Rarely if ever.” Darcy smiled up at him and he shook his head. “You're not going, Sassy. Your counterpart may need you today.”

“She's a freaking Congresswoman, Barnes. She doesn't need...”

“You're a PR whiz. She _may_. You had months to convince the UN to get rid of the Accords slowly and methodically. She's going to try to tear them down in one day. Please. Stay here. Please.”

“You're adorable when you beg, babe.”

He let out a little grumble of annoyance.

“Ooh. And growlies. Very sexy.” She rose up on her tiptoes and nibbled on his bottom lip. She tried not to laugh as Bucky threw his hands up in utter exasperation.

* * *

 

"Okay. Here's everything I have on our version of the Sokovia Accords. Little tidbits about the pork belly crap buried in the three hundredth page or so, the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment violations inherent in the...” Darcy looked up at her counterpart and sighed, “And you're a freaking Congresswoman, and you know all this already.”

“I honestly think Sam's testimony about the conditions on the RAFT along with Everett Ross backing him up will make more difference than I will. After all, I ran my campaign on this. I've been screaming about it for years. No one has listened yet,” Darcy's counterpart replied with a sigh.

“People _are_ listening. And with the footage that Daisy decrypted from the RAFT of Captain-freaking-America and Iron Man being A: still alive and B: sold to the highest bidder for experimentation, you can bet that the people are going to be outraged.” Darcy picked up Gretel when the cat wouldn't stop winding herself around her legs. “I have to be honest,” Darcy admitted. “I feel like I'm not living up to my potential. I do PR. You are a United States Congresswoman. I'm a little intimidated.”

“You shouldn't be. I did it all because of a schoolgirl crush on a man I have never even met.”

Darcy knew that her counterpart was talking about Bucky. She had had the exact same crush. And to be honest, she probably would have run for office to save him too. “Well, I have every intention of saving him and bringing him back here so you can actually meet him.”

As soon as she said it, she knew she had made a huge mistake. She started to feel the tingle that meant that Gretel was taking her somewhere. Darcy only had time to think, “Bucky is gonna kill me,” as Gretel hopped her away from Wakanda.

* * *

 

“Gretel, what did you do?” She hissed down at the cat at her feet. Gretel responded with a sweet meow. “Shh. Are we in an AIM facility? Are we even on the right earth?”

Another louder, meow.

“I said, shh.”

She could hear voices down the concrete hallway. “Oh, this is very very bad. Bad kitty. Very bad kitty.”

Gretel put her front feet on Darcy's legs.

“No way am I picking you up. No way.”

Gretel let out a loud meow and down the hall, she heard a voice say, “You hear that?”

Darcy scooped Gretel up, “Get me out of this hallway, you little demon.”

She was popped into a concrete room with a single cot and, “Bucky.”

He looked horrid. His cybernetic arm had been detached and he had clearly been beaten severely. Bruises marred his face. Anywhere that wasn't bruised was pale as death. He groggily blinked at her. “Miss Lewis?”

“I swear to God, I'm gonna kill Monica myself,” Darcy muttered to herself.

“Listen up Gretel,” Darcy picked up her cat and held her in front of her face, right into her eyes, “You're gonna take him to Wakanda, right now. Then come back for me. Got it, girl?”

Gretel responded with a 'meow'.

“Miss Lewis. You need to get out of here...”

“Yeah, yeah. Hold the cat.”

* * *

  
  


“She did what?” Bucky didn't really need to hear it repeated back to him, but Darcy's counterpart said it anyway. Steve was watching the communications feed over Bucky's shoulder and Bucky swore that he was gonna smack the little punk if he laughed.

“She disappeared. With your cat. Poof.”

Steve choked out a snicker. Bucky sighed and admitted, “Our cat isn't exactly a cat.”

“Ya think?”

“Okay,” Bucky sighed again, “What was the last thing she said to you?”

“That she was going to rescue...well...you... or the other you. And make sure I get to meet him...or you. So confusing.”

Bucky ran his hand over his face and let out a third sigh. “That woman... that damned cat...I knew we should have gotten a dog. We went to the shelter for a damned dog. Instead, we leave with a cat. An alien cat. Instead of a dog.”

Darcy's counterpart rolled her eyes and then winked at Steve, who was still eavesdropping. “Listen, you have your little...crisis. Or whatever... I have to go on the air in like, 2 minutes. So...I'm gonna go.”

“Daisy? Fly faster. Before Darcy gets killed.”

“We're going as fast as we can, Bucky Bear.”

“Buck,” Steve dropped his hand on Bucky's shoulder. “If something happens, Gretel will just hop her out.”

“Yeah, but hop her to where? Demon fuzzball hasn't been reliable.”

“Hey, Barnes?” Natasha called out, “I've got Stark on the comm. He says that 'you've' just landed in Wakanda. On our earth. With your cat.”

“Daisy!” Bucky pleaded.

“Yeah, yeah. Flying faster.”

  
  


 

 


	22. Unfazed

Darcy stood dead center of Bucky's now empty cell. She didn't want to move or breathe for fear she would be caught. So she waited. And waited.

“Mrwow?”

She spun to see Gretel standing on the cot, doing that massage thing cats do with their front feet. “Jeez,” she whispered, “Did you stop for a cappuccino?”

“Mrrrr.”

“Okay, girl, I need you to find Steve. Not my Steve. Not another world's Steve. This world's Steve. But only if he is alone. Can you do that girl?”

Gretel did a little flick of her tail and Darcy scooped her up. “Please get this right, or I'm trading you in for a collie.”

She popped into another dingy cell. This earth's Steve Rogers was almost as emaciated as the pre-serum version she had seen a few days earlier. Ugly cuts went up and down his arm.

“Shit, what did they do to you?” she muttered.

“Samples of muscle tissue,” he answered without opening his eyes.

A huge bruise was on the left side of his forehead and another was on his left cheekbone. His left ear was bleeding. Those were familiar. She'd seen them in Bucky's file.

“Do you know who you are?”

“Steve Rogers.”

“Good. They couldn't wipe you.”

“Serum. Repairs my brain too fast.” Steve finally opened his eyes, “Do I know you?”

“Not exactly. But I'm a friend. And I'm gonna get you out of here. Okay?”

“Bucky. Get him first,” he sighed and then closed his eyes again.

“Already done, Cap. Anyone else besides Tony and Vision?”

“Don't think so.”

“Okay. This is gonna sound crazy, but I need you to hold my cat.”

“What?” His eyes opened again.

“She's an alien. It's a thing. Just trust me.”

Darcy looked Gretel in the eyes. “I want you to take him to the same place you just took Bucky. Then come back to me. Got it, girl?”

Vision was next. He was both rather unfazed and remarkably unharmed.

“I don't think they know exactly what to do with me,” he explained.

“I'm glad they didn't hurt you. Now take my cat...”

“I believe she is a flerken, Ms. Lewis.”

“You say potato, I say potahtoh. Gretel honey, take Vis to the same place you just took Steve. Then come back.” To Vision, she directed, “When you get to Wakanda, tell Shuri to get that damned Mindstone out of your head and destroy it before it causes trouble. Okey dokey?”

He tilted his head like a dog and agreed, “Okey dokey,” before he hopped away.

* * *

  
  


Tony was predictably problematic. “Who the hell are you?”

“Shh. You're gonna get me caught.”

“How'd you even get in here?”

“Shh.”

“Why the hell do you have a cat?”

Darcy could hear heavy footsteps coming down the hall.

“Here! Hold her,” she shoved Gretel into his arms and demanded, “To Wakanda and back here. Go!”

Gretel hopped Tony away. And then hopped them both back. She blinked at Darcy and let out a proud, “Mrow!”

“What the hell just happened?” Tony yelled.

At that, the cell door opened revealing two burly guards.

“Hi,” Darcy waved. Tony dropped Gretel.

“Is that a cat?” One guard demanded.

The other looked around. “What the hell are you talking about? I don't see a cat.”

* * *

  
  


“Intruder alert, intruder alert.” The AI in the quinjet announced. Everyone but Natasha, who was busy piloting, grabbed a weapon and looked around.

A small touch on Bucky's pant leg revealed the intruder.

Bucky looked down at Gretel who was looking expectantly up at him. “Are you kidding me right now, young lady?”

“Did you just call your cat, 'young lady'?” Steve asked with a chuckle.

Bucky was less amused. He grabbed Steve's ICER right out of his hands. “If she's here, that means Darcy has no escape route and no weapons. I'm borrowing your ICER.” He scooped Gretel up in his arms. “Take me to your mom, fuzzball.”

Before he hopped away he heard Steve comment, “Hope you don't end up in outer space with a mama flerken, jerk.”

* * *

  
  


Gretel was smart enough to hop Bucky into an unoccupied hallway where he could hear Darcy's distinctive voice, arguing with her captors.

“I want to talk to Monica Rappaccini,” Darcy demanded.

“Why do you want to talk to the boss?” A deep voice countered.

“Because I'm gonna beat that bitch down, that's why!”

Another voice, Stark's, chimed in, “I don't think they're gonna fetch her for a beatdown, Hot Stuff.”

Under his breath, Bucky mumbled, “She's my hot stuff. Keep your eyeballs to yourself, Stark.”

Bucky listened a bit longer. Between Darcy's ranting and raving, he could identify three men, all in boots. Probably thugs. Stark hadn't moved, which meant that he was probably restrained completely. Bucky could hear the fabric on Darcy's shirt move against itself. Her hands were likely free and she was probably wildly gesticulating, as was her habit.

“Stay behind me,” he told Gretel. Then he rolled his eyes at himself, for giving a command to a cat.

With a hard push with his shoulder, Bucky broke the door open. Three quick shots later and all three thugs were on the ground.

“Is that a laser gun?” Stark asked with awe.

Darcy was already untying her ankles from the legs of the chair that she had been put in. “Ropes. Can you believe this? How insulting. Anyone can get out of ropes for crying out loud.”

“Want an ICER, Sassy?” He handed her the one he stole from Steve.

“These morons didn't even notice I had untied my hands.”

“It's true,” Stark agreed, “She was gesturing like a madwoman and they didn't notice.”

Bucky grinned at the thought. He wasn't a fan of Darcy getting into dangerous situations, but he was proud of the way she handled herself when she did. She was inwardly calm, made smart decisions, and made her enemies underestimate her.

Tony was strapped to a table with leather restraints. Clearly, they had thought that he was a bigger threat than Darcy. The thugs really were morons.

“Seriously, though. Is that a laser gun? I need one. Tony Stark, by the way.”

Bucky pulled Stark up off the table. “Yeah. I know.”

“Wait... Barnes?”

“Um. Yes and no.” Bucky made a see-saw motion with his hand.

“What the hell does that mean? And what's with the cat?”

“She's a flerken. And she's gonna take you to Wakanda. On our earth.”

Bucky plopped Gretel into Tony's arms and Darcy added, “And then she's gonna come back for us, right girl?”

Tony and Gretel disappeared with a pop.

“Did she really take everyone to our earth?” Darcy repeated.

“You weren't specific enough,” Bucky shrugged.

“That little shit,” she sighed and then turned her attention to Bucky. She pulled him closer to her, rose on her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, “Hi babe.”

“Hi yourself. I see you managed to join us on the mission even though I asked you not to come.”

“Totally not my fault.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“But while we're here....” Darcy headed toward the door, weapon in hand.

“No,” Bucky pulled her back. “We wait for the team.”

“You're no fun,” she stuck out her lower lip.

“Do you really want to get into a gunfight, darlin'?”

“I really want to shoot Monica Rappaccini in the ass with my taser. And if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.”

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	23. Harmed

“Wanna make out?” Darcy asked as she sat in the chair that she had formerly been tied to. One leg was crossed over the other and her foot was swinging back and forth rapidly. She was anxious and bored. And that combination was never good. She got ornery when she was bored.

Bucky put his finger up to his lips to silence her.

“Yeah. Draw attention to your mouth. That's gonna make me want to kiss you less.”

He fought off a grin. “I'm listening for the quinjet.”

“Please. You can't hear the quinjet.”

He gave her a dubious smile.

“Seriously? You can hear the quinjet?” She hopped up out of her chair and stood next to him, listening for something that she couldn't possibly hear. Then she rose up on her tiptoes and bit his earlobe.

“Darcy, would you please...?”

“That's right babe, beg.”

He couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up out of him. “Woman, would you hush?”

“I'm bored,” she whined as she bounced on the balls of her feet, “I was all adrenalized and ready for a fight and then you put on the brakes. It's like battle zone blue balls.”

He looked up at the ceiling and complained to no one in particular, “She's bored. There are at least a dozen hostiles in this building and she's bored.”

“Are you sure the team will be here soon?”

“I'm sure. Nat confirmed that this is the location they're headed to.”

“And they'll be here soon? Because I'm ready to kick ass.”

He put both hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye as he scolded, “You are not kicking ass. You are getting on the quinjet, locking yourself in, and staying safe. You're gonna give me an ulcer.”

“Sorry babe. I don't really want to kick ass. Kicking ass is scary. I just really hate that woman.”

He kissed her softly and then whispered against her lips, “I know, Darcy darlin'. I hate her too.”

She returned the kiss and then grinned, “I knew I'd get you to make out.”

“You're impossible.”

“But you love me.”

“Yeah. I do.” He could hear the faint hum of the quinjet landing outside, inaudible to anyone but he and Steve. “They're landing, Darce. Let's get you to the jet.”

“Gretel isn't back.”

“She'll find us. Let's go.”

Bucky held Darcy's hand as he led her out into the hallway. He could hear obvious signs of a fight on the other side of the building. Bucky hoped he could get Darcy safely around the building and to the jet without an incident. His hopes were dashed when he rounded the first corner.

“You're very predictable, soldier. Where she goes, you follow,” Monica drawled.

Bucky squeezed Darcy's hand a little tighter, worried that she would fly off the handle at the sight of her nemesis. But Darcy only seemed to have her attention on the figure standing next to Monica.

“Oh George,” Darcy said quietly, “What did she do to you?”

“MODOK,” Monica commanded. “Kill her. Take him.”

George Tarleton was more machine than man at this point. And Bucky was surprised when he paused after the command.

“MODOK!” she reminded him.

“Please, George,” Darcy pleaded. “Don't do this. This isn't who you are.”

Darcy stepped out from behind Bucky. He wanted to pull her back, shield her with his own body. But even through his own concern for Darcy, he could see that she was getting to George.

“I wanted you to love me,” George whispered.

“Please, George,” Darcy repeated.

George turned on Monica, “You told me she would love me!”

“I have given you a grander purpose!”

“You made me into a monster!”

“You're not a monster, George,” Darcy said, extending her hand out to touch him. “She is.”

It required every ounce of willpower that Bucky had not to grab Darcy and pull her away when she pulled George into a hug. “We'll fix you, okay? Fitz and Tony. They can fix anything, right?”

“I just wanted to be more. Be better, so you'd love me.”

“You don't have to be anything more than what you are, to be my friend. And I love my friends, George.”

“You'll help me?”

“I'll help you, George.”

Bucky saw Monica reach behind her, into her waistband. He raised his ICER and pointed at her and fired. But not before she got a shot off. She fell unconscious and at the same time, he heard the familiar sound of a bullet piercing flesh.

“Darcy!”

Darcy was covered in blood from her chest down. Splatters marred her face. Tears raced down her cheeks making bloodstained tracks. “Bucky! Help me!” She cried out.

She lowered George to the ground and desperately used her hands to put pressure on the wound in his abdomen. Bucky pulled one of his sleeves off of his shirt and helped Darcy hold it against the wound. But the entrance wound was on his back, and a puddle of blood grew larger and larger on the floor.

“It's gonna be okay, George. I'm here. I've got you,” Darcy promised.

George's eyes met Bucky's. “Do you love her?”

“Yes.”

“Be good to her.”

“I will. I am,” Bucky promised.

George let out one last shuddering breath.

Bucky's relief at the fact that Darcy was unharmed boiled over into rage.

He had watched the woman he loved trying to save a dying man. She was kneeling next to his body crying hysterical tears. Monica had hurt Darcy. She broke Darcy's heart.

Bucky rose and picked up Monica's gun. He turned it in his hand, re-familiarizing himself with the weight of the weapon. He hadn't killed another living soul since he had left Shuri's care in Wakanda. He only ever carried an ICER. But now, he aimed the gun at the head of Monica Rappaccini as she was regaining consciousness. Bucky's finger was on the trigger and all he had to do was squeeze.

A bloodied hand came over the barrel of the gun and gently pushed down, attempting to lower it. “Babe. No.”

“She's a monster. Like you said,” he reasoned.

“But you aren't. She's not worth it, Bucky.” Even through his shirt, he could feel Darcy's lips on his shoulder. “She's not worth it.”

He lowered the gun but didn't drop it.

The next person that came around the corner was Steve. He looked at the gun in Bucky's hand and then back up to his face. Bucky knew what Steve saw; cold fury. Bucky turned the gun in his hand and handed it to his friend. “Do me a favor and take her into custody, Steve. I can't stand to look at her another second.”

 

 

 


	24. Sedated

Darcy's head was spinning, pounding. Bucky's arm around her waist was the only thing keeping her upright.

George's blood was all over her. She watched the life fade out of his eyes as his blood poured over her hands. And then Bucky had almost taken a life for the first time since he was freed from HYDRA.

They left the building and walked toward the quinjet. Sam and Kate were already loading prisoners. Safety was just a few yards away and the adrenaline was wearing off.

“Babe,” Darcy muttered, “I don't feel so good...”

The world was getting fuzzy. There was Bucky calling her name and then calling for Sam. There was the confusion that she was suddenly laying on the ground. There was the pain in her side. The warm, comforting weight of Gretel on her chest. And then the tingling feeling of hopping away.

* * *

  


When Darcy awoke there was still the weight on her chest. She opened her heavy eyelids to see Gretel's green eyes blinking back at her.

Her side still hurt. But it wasn't as bad.

There was warm breath against her neck and she turned her head slightly to see Bucky's head resting next to hers, sharing a pillow. He had one hand grasping her upper arm possessively and the rest of his body was slumped in a chair at her bedside.

“Shhh....” a voice from Darcy's other side instructed. Darcy turned her head the other way to see Dr. Christine Palmer smiling down at her. “For God's sake, don't wake Barnes up. He's been driving me nuts,” she whispered conspiratorially.

Darcy looked around the room. She was in Medical in the Avengers Tower. Home. At least, she thought she was.

“Christine? Am I home?”

“Mmm hmm. And I meant what I said about waking up Bucky. He's been awake for about 26 hours straight. He just now crashed.”

Darcy furrowed her brow and thought hard...

“That bitch shot me again, didn't she?”

Bucky stirred a little and let out a moan.

“Shhh!”

Both women froze until Bucky's breathing evened out again.

“Yeah, she did. Bucky told me that she shot your friend, George. The bullet went through him and into your side. The bullet lodged in the subcutaneous tissue. You were very lucky.”

Darcy stopped listening after Christine mentioned George. She pictured him begging her to help him. Her promise that she would. And then the blood. All the blood pouring over her hands, puddling on the floor. George's lifeless eyes staring up at her...

“He wasn't my friend,” her voice hitched in a sob. “I barely gave him the time of day...”

“Darcy, hey, no. Don't do this to yourself.” Christine soothed Darcy's hair away from her forehead. Gretel pressed the top of her furry head against Darcy's chin and purred.

Into her left ear, she heard her favorite voice in the world instruct, “Please don't cry, Sassy.”

“I woke you up,” Darcy wailed.

“No, darlin, don't cry over that,” Bucky murmured into her ear.

But the flood gates were open and Darcy couldn't stop. Her hand went to the bullet wound in her side when the hitching sobs started hurting her. And that pain made her cry harder.

“Please, Darcy, you're hurting yourself,” Bucky pleaded.

Christine handed her a little button, “Darcy, this is your pain medicine. Push this button, okay?” Darcy nodded and complied. “You can do it again if you need to.”

“Bucky needs to sleep...” Darcy reminded them as she started to feel heavy from the narcotic.

Bucky murmured promises against her hair that he would get some sleep too as she drifted out again.

* * *

  


“Two Starks and two Steves are two too many,” Sam complained.

“Be quiet, honey, you'll wake Darcy,” Daisy said quietly.

“M'up,” Darcy mumbled. “Water?”

Daisy poured her a glass and then helped steady Darcy's shaking hands as she lifted it to her lips. After a few sips, Darcy closed her eyes again.

“Should we call Bucky and tell her that she was awake?” Daisy whispered.

“Nah. Let the man sleep. He's been hopping all over the multiverse chasing her. He needs his rest.”

“A lot of people need some damned rest,” Daisy said. “The other Lewis has been watching every bit of press our Darcy has done about the Accords. She's driving Kate up a tree.”

“Yeah, I heard Katie talking about tranquilizer darts.”

“And the new Nat won't let anyone else take care of her Steve.”

“I want to be there when you tell our Nat that she's the 'old Nat',” Sam laughed.

* * *

  


The next time she awoke it was only for a minute. She kept her eyes closed and listened to Steve and Natasha talk, their voices hushed.

“I say we just toss her into the RAFT and throw away the key.”

“Without a trial? Natasha, that's not right and you know it.”

“We can't put her on trial, Steve. She's not from this earth. And if we tried, we'd drag the memory of this earth's Monica through the mud. She was a goddamned pillar of the community, Steve. We can't do that to her family.”

“Then we send her back to her earth.”

“Also, not an option. Gwen and Peter went there, remember? That place is in shambles after Thanos. There is nothing to stop her there.”

“What do want us to do, Nat?”

“I don't know, sweetheart. But she shot my friend twice. She needs to pay.”

Darcy drifted back to sleep.

* * *

  


“So there's another me, which is weird. And another Pepper. Which is both awesome and weird. And another Bucky, who keeps hiding from me. And I'm not sure why, but I think it's because I really think I can do better than Shuri on that new arm of his. And then there are two Steves which is beyond aggravating. That's just way too much righteousness for one plane of existence. And the other Nat is all googly eyed for the other Steve. And I thought our lovebirds were ridiculous. And another you. And I like the other you.”

Darcy opened her eyes long enough to complain, “Tony, go away.”

* * *

  


The next time, there was another hushed argument.

“Because it's a cat, Stephen. Cats don't belong in hospital rooms.”

“She's not technically a cat, Christine.”

“Fine. She's a Furby.”

“Flerken.”

“Whatever. She's furry and an infection risk.”

“So take her back to Barnes's room.”

“I've tried, she's back in this room before I am. Sitting on Darcy, looking at me all smug.”

“You aren't a cat person, are you Christine?”

Darcy smiled at the indignant huff that Dr. Palmer made.

Dr. Strange was smiling down at her when she opened her eyes, “Ms. Lewis, how was your adventure?”

She smiled back at Stephen Strange. “I feel like I was in the Wizard of Oz. You were there and you were there.”

“And was I there?” he asked.

“Yeah. And, no offense Doc, but it sucked.”

“I can't see that future anymore, Darcy. You did it. You stopped it.”

“I did?”

“I believe you did.”

“Neat,” Darcy's eyes fluttered shut again.

* * *

  


A familiar profile was at her bedside when she woke up again. But the smile was wrong. And the eyes were sadder than they should have been, and the endearment that came out of his mouth was, “Hey doll.”

Darcy smiled, “Bucky? You're here?”

The last earth's Bucky nodded, “Thanks to you and your fuzzball. You saved my life, doll.”

Darcy's eyes started to water.

“None of that,” he scolded gently. “Or your man will kill me.”

“Well if anyone could take him in a fight...”

She got an actual grin out of him.

“You need your button, doll?”

Darcy shook her head. “My mouth feels like cotton. Pain isn't so bad. I think I'll stay clear headed.”

He poured her a glass of water with a brand new, vibranium arm.

“Your new arm is nice. Tony?”

“Nope. Shuri.”

“I bet Tony is itching to get his hands on it.”

“He's stalking me,” Bucky whispered. He followed it with a wink.

Darcy shook her head and smiled.

“What?” he asked.

“I just had a vision of our Shuri and Tony competing with your Shuri and Tony and it's terrifying,” Darcy laughed, then grabbed her side. It still hurt.

“You okay?”

“Fine. Where's Gretel?”

“No idea. She's been here every time I checked in on you. Dr. Palmer has given up trying to move her.”

“Wow. Usually, no one confounds Dr. Palmer.”

“She is pretty formidable. She won't even let us go back to our world. She wants to monitor those of us AIM captured for a while. Steve, your Steve, arranged for our world's Nat and Ms. Potts to be here. And, um, Congresswoman Lewis is here.” He blushed furiously.

“Oh really,” Darcy drew out the words in a teasing way, “You talk to her yet?”

“Trying.”

“You're hiding from her, aren't you?”

He gave her a soft smile and admitted, “Little bit.”

“Don't feel bad. My Bucky hid from me at first too. I'm surprised you aren't with Steve. Your Steve, I mean.”

“I've been. A lot. But Natasha...she needed to see him too. More than me, I guess.”

“Don't worry, nothing will come between you and Steve's Epic Stucky Bromance.”

“Epic Stucky Bromance,” he repeated and a single soft chuckle escaped. “Thank you, doll. I wouldn't have him back if it wasn't for you.”

Darcy's eyes started watering again. And she closed them to fight off the tears. “Hey now, you're gonna get me in trouble,” he reminded her.

“Sorry,” she huffed out a laugh and then grabbed her side, “Ow.”

“Are you okay?”

The question was in stereo.

Darcy turned her head to see her Bucky approaching the bed on the other side.

“I'm fine. Just sore,” she promised. “Have you two met? Bucky meet Bucky.”

“I think she still has a little of that narcotic in her,” Bucky's counterpart told her Bucky.

“Nah. She's always loopy.”

“Oh, that's great. You're all teaming up on me. Call the other me in here to even out the odds or something.”

“Can't do that, Sassy. Your friend here runs away every time he sees your counterpart coming,” Bucky mock whispered into her ear.

“I don't run away,” he grumbled in protest.

“Run away from what?” her own voice asked from the doorway.

Darcy smiled at her counterpart who was holding a vase of flowers. “Daisies,” she explained, “They're my favorite, I guessed they may be yours too.”

“They are. You know what else is my favorite thing?” Darcy asked her counterpart. “Coffee. And Bucky here was just saying that he hasn't had a decent cup in forever.”

Her own Bucky suppressed a grin while the other looked like a deer in headlights.

“How about you join me for a cup, Sergeant Barnes?”

“Bucky,” he corrected.

“I'll call you Bucky if you stop calling me Congresswoman. It's Darcy.”

“Darcy,” he said as if he were tasting the word. “I'd love to have a cup of coffee with you.”

“Shall we?”

When the room had emptied of their counterparts, Darcy turned to Bucky and smiled, “We're getting good at matchmaking, babe. Maybe we should dump this Avengers gig and start up a website or something.”

“Does it count if the only matchmaking we've done is between us?”

“According to Stephen, there are infinite parallel universes. That's a lot of us.”

“One of you is enough for me.”

“For me too, babe. Although...younger, 1940's black and white you was pretty charming.”

“I'm charming.”

“Eh. You're okay I guess.”

  


  


 


	25. Extinguished

Two Weeks Later

 

“You gonna go to work today, Darce?” Bucky asked as he slid the plate full of pancakes across the breakfast bar.

“Still on leave,” she mumbled.

“You want to come up to Fitz's lab this afternoon? Emma and a bunch of the kids will be there.” Bucky tried not to let hopefulness color his voice.

“No...I'm...I'm gonna try and catch up on some reading or something.”

“Kate's having archery lessons for some of the kids in her after school program. Or you could help Daisy with her computer class.”

“Maybe next week. I just...I'm not up to it,” she poked her fork into the pancakes and rearranged the pieces on the plate, but still hadn't taken a bite.

“Side still bothering you?”

Darcy shrugged. “Little bit. Feels funny.”

“Darce....” he started, but he was cut off by an untimely knock on their door.

Darcy slid off the stool and escaped to the bedroom. As she walked away she said, “That's Sam. Have a good day, babe.”

She didn't bother to turn around. And like every day for the past two weeks, she didn't bother with a goodbye kiss.

* * *

  


“You need to be patient,” Sam told Bucky for about the tenth time as they drove back from the courthouse. Doc Ock was on trial and had to be ferried back and forth. In the car behind theirs, Piper and Davis were accompanying the prisoner. Daisy and Kate took up the rear.

“I'm being patient. But I'm worried. She hasn't stepped foot in her office since we got back. She won't go near the labs... She won't even leave the Tower.”

“Because...”

Bucky sighed. He knew exactly what Sam was doing. “Because Monica essentially kidnapped her from her office, and George was in the labs, and she is traumatized.”

“And....”

Bucky continued to play along. “And she needs time. And I'm giving her time. But she won't talk about it. And I think she should.”

“Did you want to talk about your shit?”

“It's different,” Bucky shrugged.

“How so?”

“I was ashamed of what I had done. Even though I know, logically, that I had no control over what HYDRA made me do, I was still ashamed. But Darcy doesn't have anything to be ashamed of. She was the victim.”

“Hmmm.”

“What?”

“Think about it from Darcy's perspective.”

“I am thinking about it from her perspective, Birdbrain. She was kidnapped. She was shot, twice. She didn't do anything to hurt anyone.”

“You don't think she feels guilty?”

“What for?” Then under his breath, Bucky muttered, “Other than not ICING that bitch right off the bat.”

“Ding ding. He gets it in one. What are you always harping on about? Her safety. She messed that up. She feels bad about it.”

Bucky sighed and admitted, “And she feels guilty about what happened to George.”

This time Sam sighed, “And she's not the only one. Fitzsimmons and Parker all feel like they should have been better friends to the guy. They think maybe if they had he wouldn't have done something so damned drastic.”

“I hate seeing her like this, Sam. It's like her fire has gone out.”

“It's still there, Bucky. It's like an ember. It'll come roaring back into a blaze before you know it.”

They rode in silence for a bit and then Sam asked, "Do you know what she's been doing?" 

"Yeah. I know."

"It's not healthy."

"I know that too."

* * *

 

“Darcy?” The sweet lilting voice of Jemma Simmons called out from Darcy's front door. Peeking in were Jemma and Hope.

“Hey guys,” Darcy greeted, a little more enthusiastically than she felt.

“Yoga pants? Again?” Hope scolded.

“I'm on leave.”

“No honey, you're in denial.” Jemma tutted.

“I'm fine, you guys.”

She could hear Natasha asking as she approached from the hallway, “She still in yoga pants...? Yes, she is.”

“I'm on medical leave. Yeesh.”

“You haven't left the Tower since you left medical,” Nat stated simply.

“Did Bucky send you?” Darcy glared at Nat, daring her to answer the question.

“Please. Barnes is not more observant than I am. Even when it comes to you.”

Pepper came in behind the other three women and then looked at Darcy in utter disappointment, “Oh honey, yoga pants?”

“Fine. I'll change.”

“Hurry,” Pepper smiled, “Because I have a surprise for you.”

* * *

  


Darcy looked around the offices that Pepper had presented her with. They were four times the size of her current space. They were higher in the Tower as well, so the view was outstanding. “It's beautiful, Pep. But I don't need all this.”

“Actually, you do. Tony's been hinting for months that you need a bigger office.”

Darcy nodded absently and looked out the window. Natasha approached her and gently said, “Honey, this isn't because...”

“Because I was lured away from my office and kidnapped? Of course, it is, Natasha,” as soon as she said it, Darcy felt guilty for snapping.

Pepper was nonplussed. “It's not. Your assistant has been feeling overwhelmed. It's past time that we expand your staff.”

“Thanks, Pepper. It's a great office. Really.”

“And you have a full kitchen and a private elevator.”

“It's awesome. I appreciate it. But I'm hurting. So... I'm gonna head back to my apartment.”

“We were going to take you to brunch,” Jemma protested.

“Maybe another time.”

* * *

 

Darcy didn't know why she went to the detention level the first time. She didn't expect to have access. But she did. And when she went in and stood behind the glass she didn't even know what she wanted to get out of it. And she didn't know why she kept coming back. The first few times she listened to Monica rant and rave about AIM and everything she had hoped to accomplish. She told Darcy about the world she had hoped to create. A world of order. A world of science without ethics. But after two weeks, Monica had obviously grown weary of Darcy's visits.

“You stand there and you stare. Every day. You come down here. You stand there. And you stare. Why don't you ever ask your questions?”

Darcy didn't know. So she just scowled at Monica and walked away.

* * *

  


“Hey kiddo, I've been looking for you. Pepper said you were in your apartment.” Stark was leaning against the doorframe to her and Bucky's apartment. He was looking way too casual. He had to be up to something.

“Why didn't you ask Friday where I was?” Darcy mumbled.

“I like a challenge sometimes,” he shrugged.

“What did you need, Tony?” She shooed him aside to scan her palmprint to access her rooms.

“Nope,” he took her arm instead and wrapped it around his bicep like he was escorting her to a dance, “Come with me.”

“Tony, I'm tired.”

“Yep. I get that. Still coming with me.”

She jerked back her arm a bit, “I don't feel like going up to the labs, Tony. Not yours, not Fitz's.”

“We're not going to the labs, Grumpy Gus. Would you just trust me?”

“Tony, I don't feel like...”

“Okay, that's it,” Tony snapped a device around her wrist. He had one on as well. It looked familiar. "Barnes's orders."

“What are you doing?”

“Kidnapping you.”

Tony pressed a button on his wrist device at the same time as the one on hers and they disappeared from the hallway.

  


  


  


 

 


	26. Mended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I posted two chapters pretty quickly. Make sure you read 25 first.  
> Major Buffy the Vampire Slayer shout out here.

“She's gonna kill you,” Daisy shook her head.

“It was a nice thing. Tony and I did a nice thing.”

“She's gonna kill you. Katie, back me up,” Daisy asked as Kate approached, coffees in hand.

Kate placed a kiss on top of Bucky's head and then handed him a coffee. “You're the dead-est man in Deadonia.”

“Sam?” Bucky asked his approaching friend. “How bad did I screw up here?”

“Tell me about this world again?”

* * *

 

“Shrimp,” Darcy repeated.

“Yep.” Tony sat down on a large boulder and stared out at the ocean.

“In this world, the only living things are shrimp,” she clarified disbelievingly.

“Flying shrimp. Land shrimp. Cute little buggers by the way. And luminescent shrimp,” he nodded toward the ocean. Cresting in the waves were streaks of every color of the rainbow, glowing and fading. “I told Barnes about it and he thought... well we both thought that you'd like to see it.”

“And you kidnapped me because...?”

“I'm impulsive and reckless.” He smiled widely.

Darcy sat down on the beach and watched the rainbow waves. “You didn't drag me here to talk?”

“We can talk. Or not. I'm good either way, kid.”

“I'm mad at you,” she said quietly.

“You can yell at me if you want. No one here but us and the shrimp.”

“No. Don't feel like yelling. Not yet.”

“Let me know when you do. I can handle it.”

“How long can we stay here?”

“As long as you want. And you can keep the device. You can come back anytime you want. Just...don't travel via alien cat anymore. She's very unreliable.”

Darcy allowed herself a smile. “I'll do my best.”

* * *

 

Bucky could barely enjoy his time in the labs with Fitz and the kids. His hand actually shook when he raised his palm to scan his way into the apartment.

He didn't know which would be worse: 'The Wrath of Darcy' or the emotionless response that he was expecting.

“Darce?” He asked, poking his head in the door before he entered. Gretel greeted him right away, winding around his legs with joyful chirps.

A little louder he called again. “Darcy? You home?”

“In the bath, babe.”

He scooped up Gretel and said quietly, “A bath. That's good, right?”

He peeked in the door to the bathroom, “Hey. I'm home.”

“I see that. You can come in.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm not gonna yell at you, babe. Come on in.”

“Okay.” Gretel jumped out of his arms and Bucky found himself fidgeting.

“Oh my god, Bucky would you come here?”

He knelt by the tub and crossed his arms over the edge, “I'm sorry about today. I shouldn't have had Tony... I pushed and I'm sorry.”

“It was really nice, actually. I'm not mad.”

“Are you sure?” He asked, dipping his fingers into the water to make little waves.

“I kind of am getting the feeling that you want me to be mad.”

“I want... I wish...that you were feeling more like yourself. And I wish I could fix it all and make it better.”

“I'm not broken, babe. I'm just... I went through some shit and I need to work through it. I think it might be a good idea for me to talk to somebody. A professional. Not Sam.”

“I think that's a good idea, Sassy.”

“Good. Now grab me a towel, I'm getting pruney.”

Bucky lifted her from the water and wrapped a big towel around her. He reached up and undid the clip that kept her hair up. He pulled her into a big hug and sighed. “I love you, Darcy.”

“I love you too. Even though you're a big idiot that sent me to a world of shrimp.”

Back in the bedroom, Bucky rummaged through the chest of drawers. “What do you want to wear?”

He felt Darcy pull on his shirt, “This.”

He pulled it up and off and helped her into it. “Thief.”

“What's yours is mine, babe,” she rose onto her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips before flopping down onto the bed. Bucky stretched out next to her. The shirt had ridden up and exposed her belly.

Bucky traced his fingers over the spot where Darcy was shot the second time. Dr. Cho swore he wouldn't be able to feel the difference between her skin and the re-generated skin but he could.

“I know it shouldn't still hurt, but I swear it does,” Darcy admitted.

He moved his fingers to the spot on her abdomen where Monica had shot her the first time, the wound that Shuri repaired. He could feel the difference there too. “This one doesn't hurt, though?”

“Not really. Maybe it's psychosomatic.”

“Or maybe there is something wrong. We should have Christine take a look. Or Shuri even.”

“You're such a worrywart.”

“I love you. That's all.”

“I know, babe. You keep saying that.”

“Not gonna stop, either.”

Gretel jumped up on the bed, purring and butting her head against her people. She settled across Darcy's ribs.

While she was rubbing Gretel's chin, Darcy told Bucky, “Pepper and the girls gave me a new office today.”

“I heard about that. Didn't think it was a good idea.”

“You didn't want me to have a fancy new office?”

“I didn't want you to feel like you were being bribed into feeling something you weren't.”

“Instead you went with shrimp...”

“Tony said it was relaxing. Contemplative. I thought you'd like it!”

“I did. I'm just giving you a hard time. The girls meant well.”

“But...”

“But. I don't know. I miss Jane,” Darcy sighed and then hopped away with Gretel.

Bucky stared at the empty spot where Darcy had been. “I'm gonna kill that fuzzy demon,” he laughed. “Friday? Can you open a channel to the Benatar?”

* * *

 

Darcy landed in the middle of a soft bed, in the middle of two people.

“Darcy?” Jane screeched.

“Gretel! I'm gonna kill you!” Darcy shrieked back, jumping up out of the bed.

“Darcy!” Thor exclaimed with joy.

“Darcy, where are your pants?!” Jane screeched again.

“I appear out of thin air and you're worried about my pants?!” Darcy yanked down Bucky's shirt to her knees.

“It is good to see you, Lady Darcy!” Thor got out of bed to embrace her.

“Naked!” Darcy covered her eyes with one hand, while she held the t-shirt down with the other.

“Why yes I am quite nude,” Thor agreed.

“We were in bed!” Jane explained.

“So was I!” Darcy yelled.

The door to their quarters opened and Rocket announced, “Hope you guys are decent because Barnes just called and... FLERKEN!”

Gretel hissed and screamed and raced out the door. Rocket hissed back and gave chase.

“We should have gotten a dog,” Darcy moaned.

 

 

* * *

 


	27. Abandoned

“Thor! Pants!” Darcy heard Jane command as she sprinted after Rocket.

“Should I procure pants for the Lady Darcy as well?” Thor asked.

“FLERKEN!” Rocket screamed again, followed by a laser blast.

“No!” Darcy yelled. She felt relieved when she heard Gretel screech in displeasure. “Get away from her you RODENT!”

“I am Groot.”

“What the _hell_ is going on out here?” Peter Quill yelled as he emerged from his room.

“Darcy?” Gamora asked.

“It seems as if the Lady Gamora also needs pants,” Thor observed.

“Not important right now, Thor!” Jane scolded.

“You seemed very focused on pants a moment ago.”

Drax sat in the middle of the common area and bit into a piece of fruit.

“What the hell is going on?” Quill asked again.

“I think it may be a game. Rocket is trying to catch the flerken while the women run around without pants trying to stop him. And the men stand around without shirts.” Drax eyeballed Gamora, “You should be running around with the women without pants.”

“I am not going to run around...” Gamora yelled. “Nobody move! Rocket! Put the gun down!”

“But it's...”

“Rocket!”

“But...”

“I said put the gun down.”

“Fine. But when the ship is overrun with flerken eggs I don't want anyone to come complaining to me!”

“I am _Groot_!”

“She's not gonna lay eggs! She's been spayed!” Darcy yelled.

“What the hell is spayed?” Rocket yelled back.

“Sterilized. Which is what we should do to you, you little _psycho_.”

Groot held out a small flower for Darcy and said softly, “I am Groot.”

“Oh sweetie, I'm happy to see you too.”

“Yeah, not that we're not all happy to see you Darce, but how the _hell_?” Quill asked.

“Flerken!” Rocket yelled.

“Why do you keep yelling that?” Jane yelled.

“That...” Rocket pointed to Gretel who was hiding behind Darcy and bristling, “Is a flerken.”

“That. Is. A. Cat,” Jane corrected.

“No, Jane Darling, Rabbit is correct. That is a flerken.”

Drax nodded. “That is a flerken.”

Gamora nodded, “Flerken.”

“I am Groot.”

Darcy crossed her arms over her chest. “I know she's a flerken. How do you think I got here?”

Quill threw his hands up, “What the _hell_ is a flerken?”

They were all interrupted by a loud yawn followed by Mantis's sweet voice. “I didn't realize we had guests. Hello Darcy. That's a very nice flerken you have there.”

* * *

  


Being with the Guardians felt safe and familiar. Which was weird, in a way, because if you looked at a calendar, they had only spent a few days with her, here and there.

But the calendar didn't show the entire year that was lost. The year that most of them spent together in the Soul Stone. In some ways that was the best year of Darcy's life. She met and fell in love with Bucky. Hell, they'd even gotten married. She became a confidant of Gamora's. She'd adored Mantis, Drax, and Groot. And she'd tolerated Quill. The only Guardian she didn't know well was Rocket. And she actually liked him, when he wasn't planning to murder her cat.

Plus, she was here with Jane and Thor, two of her favorite people in the galaxy.

“That bitch,” Jane exclaimed for the last time during Darcy's recounting of the last month. Quill and even Rocket had also used that epithet to describe Monica.

“So then, Tony caught me in the hallway and took me to a world of shrimp for contemplation.”

“A world of shrimp?” Jane asked, pulling on her ear as if she didn't hear Darcy correctly.

“Shrimp. It was a nice world. But contemplation without coffee is only semi-effective. Then I told Bucky that I missed you, and Gretel happened to be sitting on my chest and here I am. I suppose I should get back.”

“But you don't want to go back,” Mantis said matter-of-factly.

“Of course I do! I don't want to be away from Bucky.”

“You want to stay here and have coffee and contemplation.”

Gamora nodded, “There's no rush to get back, Darcy. Unless you think it's a good idea to visit the detention area and stare at the woman who tried to ruin your life day in and day out.”

“That's not healthy, Darce,” Jane said.

“Or go back to the people that can't accept that you're in a funk,” Quill added.

“That's not fair,” Darcy pointed at him, “They're worried, that's all.”

Peter just shrugged. “There's more than enough room for you, Darce. Carol and Maria are on Xandar, working with the Nova Corps. And Nebula is.... well I don't know. She's somewhere.”

“She thinks she has a lead on Bron-Charr and she's hunting him down,” Gamora explained to Peter.

“Yeah, I don't care.”

“You can stay as long as you like, Darcy,” Gamora told her.

“But Bucky...” Darcy protested.

“Let's call him,” Gamora offered. “Let him know you'll be staying for a while.”

“I have one condition,” Darcy said, “Keep Rocket away from my cat!”

“Speaking of,” Jane looked around, “Where'd she go?”

“She's probably laying eggs in the engine! Damn Flerken!”

“I told you, she's spayed!”

“And I told you that I don't know what that means!”

* * *

  


The call to Bucky would have been easier if she couldn't see his face.

“Darcy, I understand. It's fine. I'm fine.” He looked like a puppy that had been kicked.

“Are you sure babe?”

“Yeah,” he gave a half-hearted dismissive wave, “I go off on missions and leave you sometimes. It's fine.”

“I can tell Gretel to bring me home...”

“No. You need some Jane time. I get it. I'll be fine. Totally fine.”

“Okay... I love you.”

“I love you too, Sassy. And don't worry...”

“You'll be fine?”

“Yep,” he gave her a patented Bucky grin, complete with the head tilt of faux self-confidence.

The screen went black and Darcy looked over at Jane who remarked, “Well I think we've established that he'll be fine.”

“Oh my god, he looked like a baby seal, with the big eyes...and I was like the evil seal hunter with a great big club.”

“Darcy, he's a super-soldier. The freaking Winter Soldier. He'll be fine.”

“Right. He'll be totally fine.”

* * *

  


“Get up and take a god-damned shower!” Sam yelled.

“I took a shower yesterday. Leave me alone.” Bucky groaned as he lay on his back in the middle of the living room, staring at the ceiling. He muttered softly, “I can't believe she left me.”

“She didn't leave you, you drama queen. She took a little vacation.”

“A vacation to get away from you,” Kate offered from her spot in Bucky's favorite comfy chair.

“Not helping,” Sam hissed at her.

“I can't believe you have no leftovers in this fridge,” Daisy called out from the kitchen. “There's a box of baking soda, two eggs, and some very questionable milk.”

“She didn't feel like cooking lately, and I am a terrible cook, so we've ordered take out.”

“And you don't have any leftovers?” Daisy complained.

“Do you have any idea how much I need to eat? Of course, there are no leftovers.”

“Well let's eat now because I'm starving.”

“Daisy, honey, light of my life,” Sam was pinching the bridge of his nose, “You're being more unhelpful than Kate.”

“Ha ha,” Kate sing-songed.

“I'm ordering pizza,” Daisy muttered, as she started rummaging through the cabinets.

“Bucky,” Sam turned his attention to the floor. “Darcy didn't leave you. And if you didn't want her to stay with Jane, you could have said so. Instead, you told her it was fine.”

“It wasn't fine. I miss her.”

“It's been two days.”

“She took the cat.”

“Technically, the cat took her,” Kate reminded him.

“Even the cat left me.”

“Bucky Bear,” Kate uncurled herself from the chair and looked down at him. “When you first came in from the cold, you had that lost puppy thing going for you. It was adorable. This...” she waved her hand to encompass his entire body, “Is just sad. So get up. And let's go get some food.”

“Snack Pack!” Daisy yelled from the kitchen. “Score!”

Bucky knitted his brows. “You guys aren't gonna let me wallow, are you?”

“Nope,” Sam crossed his arms and stared down at him. “So get up, take a shower, and let's go eat before Daisy starts gnawing on the cabinets.”

Bucky started to argue again when he was sprayed in the face with Gretel's 'bad cat' water bottle. “Up! Up! Up!” Kate scolded, squeezing the trigger with each command.

“Okay, okay! You guys are the worst, you know that?” He didn't try to hide his grin. He loved these idiots. Maybe he would be fine.

  


 

 


	28. Missed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did not want to be written for some reason. Sorry it took so long.

  
“When the hell is Darcy coming home?”

Bucky had a fork halfway to his mouth when Pepper entered the group dining room, yelling at him.

“Ummm... she's spending some time with Jane.” Bucky almost stammered.

“I know where she is. That's not what I asked!”

“Soon? I think? I know you miss her...”

“Tony hasn't slept in three days. Three days, Bucky!” Pepper put the palms of her hands on the table and leaned forward. She was almost menacing. “Bruce and Tony are on a science bender. Do you remember what happened the last time those two went on a science bender?”

“Ultron?” he squeaked.

“Ultron! He's gone too far down the rabbit hole for me to pull back on my own. I need Darcy!”

Bucky blinked a few times. He had never seen Pepper so... the opposite of composed. “I had no idea that she helped you with that sort of thing...sorry.”

“Never mind.” Pepper flicked a hand in his directed and then started to pace. “I'll just have Natasha render him unconscious somehow. She has ways...”

“Don't... I'll try and talk them down, Pepper. Just... let me finish my lunch.”

“Thank you, Bucky. And if you want to knock them out...”

“I'm not gonna knock em out,” he protested quietly.

But Pepper was already walking out of the room. Bucky sat blinking for a minute. He ate one more bite and then headed to the lab before Pepper did something drastic.

* * *

Darcy stared out the window of the Benatar, watching the stars streak by. One of the conditions of her stay on the ship was that she talk to Mantis once a day for an hour.

“How do you feel today, Darcy?”

“I dunno, why don't you tell me? Isn't that your thing?” She didn't know why she was feeling so snippy. Mantis was the sweetest person she had ever met. She didn't do anything to deserve Darcy's ire.

“I know how you feel. But I want you to know how you feel.”

“Honestly?” Darcy stood and paced. It must have been five minutes before she said anything. The whole time Mantis just watched her impassively.

Finally, Darcy exploded, “I'm pissed! She lied to me. And she used me. She SHOT ME!”

“You feel justified in being angry with Monica.”

“Of course I'm justified!”

“But you don't feel like you should be angry with George.”

“I'm not angry with George.” Darcy sank back into the chair. “He shouldn't have trusted her. But it's not right for me to be mad at him.”

“Why not?”

“Because he's dead. He's a victim.”

“Your feelings aren't going to make him less of a victim. You're angry with him.”

She turned to the window again and admitted, “I guess I am.”

* * *

“Hey gorgeous,” Bucky smiled at Darcy's image. Her return smile was faint, but at least it was there.

“Hi. I miss you,” she promised.

“I miss you too. How's space?”

Her smile got a little more pronounced. “Space is good.”

“What's so funny?”

“Nothing. How's everybody doing? Is Tony behaving? How about Barton?” The smile faded away, and worry lines appeared between her brows.

“Don't worry Sassy. Nothing I can't handle. Don't want to talk about them anyway. Wanna talk about you.”

They talked until Darcy fell asleep. Gamora gave Bucky a soft smile when she turned off Darcy's communicator.

“Don't worry Barnes, I'm taking care of her.”

“I know.”

* * *

“You need to call Darcy right now!” Pietro Maximoff demanded the second Barnes walked into the common room.

“Okay... why?”

“Because my sister is cheating at UNO!”

“You're the one cheating! I know you used your speed to see what cards I have!” Wanda accused.

“And you're reading my mind!”

“I would never...” she protested, with her hand over her chest and her eyes widened in shock.

Vision calmly offered, “Perhaps, we could rely on the honor system...”

Two sets of Maximoff eyes turned and glared at Vision.

“Perhaps not.”

Pietro begged, “Darcy is the one who enforces the 'no powers' rule at game night. We need to call her.”

On the other side of the room, someone yelled, “Those aren't the rules, Rhodes!”

“They are too the rules, Barton! You have to go to jail!”

“Barnes!” Rhodes stomped a foot as he yelled, “Call Darcy!”

“I'm not calling Darcy!” Bucky yelled back.

“Barton is cheating. He rolled doubles three times.”

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “Barton, go to jail.” He spun back at the Maximoffs. “You two, no powers. Vision is in charge. And Lucky? Put down the pizza.”

Lucky stood there with the piece of pizza hanging from his doggie mouth. He put it down but then picked it back up and ate it.

* * *

“I wonder if Gretel could take me back in time...” Darcy mused.

“To do what?” Mantis asked.

“To be nicer to George. Make him stay away from Monica. Make _me_ stay away from Monica.”

“Do you think that would make you happy?”

“Yeah.”

“What about the people on the other earth that you visited. If you hadn't gone there they would still believe their friends were dead. Would that make you happy?”

“No of course not.”

* * *

“And now I feel like crap for even thinking about it. Leaving the other Sam in prison. Letting everyone believe Steve and Tony were dead. How could I even think it?” Darcy had her chin in her hands, looking a little lost. Bucky wished he could take her in his arms.

“But you didn't do it, darlin. You saved them.”

“I still feel bad for thinking it. I wish I could just fix everything. Make everyone happy.”

“No one can make everyone happy.”

“Look at you, being all wise.” If she were home she would have wound her arms around his neck and kissed him after saying something like that. And Bucky couldn't hide the little bit of sadness that she couldn't do that now. And of course, she noticed, “Are you mad at me? For staying on the Benatar?”

“Of course not. But I miss you like crazy.”

“I miss you too babe. Tell me what you did today.”

“Fitzsimmons and I took Emma and the other kids to a Mets game. Sat in the stands with the rest of the fans and everything.”

“The Mets huh?”

“Well, I ain't gonna be a Yankees fan!”

* * *

The knock on Bucky's door was faint, almost hesitant. When Bucky opened it, Peter Parker stood there looking exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. He clutched a laptop to his chest and had a bookbag full of loose papers and books. “Do you think you could call Darcy?”

“Kid? What's wrong?”

“US History. This paper is supposed to be fifteen pages. And I'm maxed out at ten. I just can't think of anything else to say...She's so good at stretching these things out...”

Bucky gestured for Peter to come in. “What's the paper on, kid?”

“World War Two.”

Bucky smiled and reached for the laptop. “I think I might be able to help you.”

“But...Darcy usually...” Peter clutched his computer tighter.

“Kid. You know I was _there_ , right?”

His eyes brightened. “Oh yeah.”

“I'll order a pizza and we can get to work.”

* * *

“Do you want to talk today?” Mantis asked.

“Not really.”

“Tell me what you feel.”

Darcy just sighed. “You know what I feel.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“Empty. I feel empty. That's bad right?”

“No. It just is.”

* * *

“Why haven't you told me to come home?” Darcy asked abruptly.

“Do you _want_ to come home?” Bucky softly asked back.

“Of course. But...” She cast her eyes down.

“Darlin', you come home when you're ready. I'll wait.”

“For how long?”

“For you? I'd wait forever.”

She smiled in response. An actual smile. “Tell me about your day, babe.”

“I helped Peter write a paper on the War.”

“Yeah?”

“In fact...” Bucky turned the screen so that Darcy could see Peter crashed on the couch.

“Aww. He's so cute.”

“He snores,” Bucky complained.

Darcy let out a little laugh. It wasn't much of a laugh. But it was something. And Bucky thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard.

 

 


	29. Puffed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not part of the original plan. But after that episode of Agent's of Shield, I had to.

Darcy was late. They had a standing video chat date while she was on the Benatar and she was forty-five minutes late. He was starting to worry. After the fourth attempt to reach her she answered, “Bucky Bear Boo Boo BABY! How the hell are you?”

“Darce...are you okay?”

Behind her, there were glittering lights and assorted aliens. She was bouncing when she answered, “Fan-fucking-tastic. How're you?”

“Is that Bucky?” Jane Foster appeared next to Darcy and waved enthusiastically, “Hi Bucky.”

“Hi, Jane.”

“He doesn't look like a bear, Darcy.”

“He totally is a bear. A grizzly in the sheets and a koala in the streets. Wait. That's not right.”

“A koala isn't even a bear, Darcy. It's a marzipan.” Jane rolled the word around in her mouth like she was tasting it, “Marzipan. Marzipan. That's a funny word.”

“He can't be a marzipan, because I'm allergic to almonds.” Darcy snidely told her friend.

Bucky was a little amused, “Darcy darlin. Are ya drunk?”

“Noooo. But I'm totally tripping! But don't tell Jane!”

Jane was examining her fingerprints.

“Jesus,” Bucky ran his hand over his eyes and down across his beard.

“Is that Barnes?” Rocket took the tablet from Darcy and held it way too close to his face.

“Rocket? What are you doing?” Bucky said, with utter exhaustion.

“I'm staking my claim man. I want Darcy. So next time I see you, I'm gonna pee on you.”

Bucky blinked a few times. “Give the tablet back to Darcy.”

“Gonna pee on you, Barnes.” And then Rocket held the tablet impossibly close. “You're eyes are like sparkly jewels. I think I love you, Barnes.”

“Ok.” Bucky snapped, “Back to Darcy.”

“Babe! I'm flying! And I think Jane is too! Don't tell her that I know though.”

“Where is Gamora?”

“Right here!” She pointed at the figure next to her who in turn reminded her, “I am Groot.”

“Shit. You're right. Where is Gamora?”

It was Jane that replied, “She's beating up a bad bad man.”

“Does she know that you've been drugged?”

Darcy shook her head. “Nooooo. Wait. Was I drugged?”

“I think it was the puffs!” Jane yelled. She was plucking something non-existent out of the sky.

Bucky muted the Starkpad and made a call. “Katie, you busy?”

“Nope. Why?”

On the screen, he could see Darcy cradling Rocket like an infant and rubbing his tummy. Both of the creature's feet kicked as he laughed. Gretel was using Groot as a scratching post while he protested, “I am Groot.”

“I need you,” he told Kate.

There was a very long pause before Kate replied, “I don't know what to say to that Bucko.”

“Darcy's in trouble. Can you come to my place? Now?”

“Oh thank God. I thought you were propositioning me.”

“I wouldn't...!”

“I know. It was just...' I need you'. It sounded so...”

Bucky rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Darcy started spinning around with Rocket in her arms until she fell down. “Never mind. I'll call Sam.”

“Don't be a dumbass. I'm on my way.”

On the screen, he could see Jane, Darcy and Rocket playing Ring Around the Rosie, while Gretel stood in the middle of their circle. With a jolt, the tablet was picked up by Drax. “Barnes? How did you get in there?”

“For crying out loud,” Bucky mumbled. He unmuted the tablet, “Drax? Did you eat one of those puffs?”

“No.” Drax paused.

“Where is Gamora?”

“Gamora...Where is Gamora?” He put the tablet back on the bar counter and wandered off aimlessly.

“Wait! Drax.”

Jane picked up the tablet. “Bucky! Darcy, did you know Bucky was here?”

Behind her, Drax walked in the opposite direction.

“Drax!” Bucky yelled, “I thought you didn't have any puffs.”

“I said I didn't have one. I had seven.”

Kate entered the apartment without knocking, “What's up, B. Bear?”

“B. Bear?”

“Just testing it out.”

“I think I prefer Dumb Ass.” He handed her the tablet. “Keep an eye on Darcy and Foster while I run down to the communications room. I have to try and get a hold of Gamora.”

Kate watched the screen for a minute before she asked, “Dude. Did you know that Darcy's tripping balls?”

Bucky shot her a look of disbelief.

“That's why you're calling Gamora. Got it.”

On the tablet, Bucky could hear Darcy yell, “Katie Kate Bishop! I love you!”

“I love you too, Darcy. You okay?”

“Hey. Janie and I were talking and we were wondering about whether Piet could turn himself into a human vibrator.”

“Because that would be awesome!” Jane yelled.

Kate turned beet red, got up and shoved the tablet back at Bucky before he could leave.

“New plan. I call Gamora. You deal with Darcy and Foster.”

“But...”

Bucky looked back at the tablet. Jane was wiggling her finger in a come hither gesture. “Bucky? I need to know: why are you dressed like an old-timey clown?”

In the background, Darcy was singing, “Dance, Kookaburra Dance Kookaburra!” as she spun around with Gretel in her arms. The cat had wide eyes and looked terrified.

“Bucky, Bucky, Bucky,” Jane whispered conspiratorially. “Come closer.” Meanwhile, she moved the tablet she was holding so close to her face that the only thing that Bucky could see was one eyeball. “I have to tell you Bucky, I love you so much.”

“I...um... love you too, Jane.”

“Also... I love Steve. And you love Steve. Everybody loves Steve.”

“Yep. Everyone loves Steve.”

“Have you and Steve ever...? Ya know?”

“Jane, can you give the tablet to Darcy, please?”

“I mean, you and Steve...it's such a beautiful idea...so beautiful...”

And Jane started crying. “Why are you crying, Janie?” Darcy asked, off-screen.

“I was thinking about Steven and James and it's so beautiful....” Jane wailed and she held the tablet against her chest, rendering the screen completely blank.

“Like Steve and Bucky...together? Like, together together?” Darcy asked.

“Can we not....?” Bucky begged.

“That would be SO HOT!” Darcy yelled. Gretel let out a little yowl of distress.

From the background, Bucky could hear Gamora yell, “Why aren't you on the ship?”

Bucky was still staring at an extreme close up of Jane's shirt.

Rocket answered faintly, “The ship is broke.”

“What did you do to my ship?” Quill yelled.

“Bron Charr shot it. Filled it with gassy badness. Had to evacuate while it airs out. So we came to find you guys,” Rocket explained. “Then we had puffs. They were magical.”

“Dr. Foster, do you have Barnes on the line?” Gamora asked.

“Yes. And he's beautiful.”

“Give me the tablet.”

Gamora sighed and began, “Barnes...”

“My wife is drugged, Gamora,” he growled.

“She was supposed to stay on the ship.”

Thor agreed with a kingly nod, “Kitson is no place for humans. Or Rabbit.”

“I am Groot.”

“Or Groot.”

Bucky glared at Gamora.

“Don't look at me like that, Barnes. It doesn't work on me.”

“How much more time will it take for you to bring her home?”

“I don't know yet. A few weeks... a few months... Peter will have to assess the damage.”

“Months?”

Darcy cried in the background. “By the time I get back, Bucky will be old!” She squeezed Gretel hard and the creature made a little squeak of protest.

“I won't be old.”

“I bet you're hot when you're old. I'd like to see that.”

Quill, Gamora and Bucky yelled out, “Darcy, NO!” at the same time. But it was too late. Gretel obeyed her master's command and whisked her away.

Bucky growled and scowled at Gamora again.

“Huh. I'm actually a little bit afraid of you, after all.”

“Where'd Darcy go?” Jane cried in the background.

 

* * *

 

Darcy was pretty sure she was still tripping. Because she was staring through a window in a little residential neighborhood at Bucky in a little kitchen with a woman that was decidedly, “Not me. That's not me.”

She heard a gun cock behind her and an authoritative female voice demanded, “Do not move. Turn around slowly.”

“I can't. I can't not move and turn around. I can't,” Darcy crumpled to the ground and started to cry like Jane had been. The world was still spinning. “That's not me!”

She flopped back onto the grass and looked up at a woman that she vaguely recognized. “Hi. I'm Darcy. And that's supposed to be me. Because I'm Bucky's and he's mine. We said so.”

Then a very familiar voice called out, “Peg? Everything okay?”

“Steve!” Darcy turned her head and smiled at him. “You're all old. And upside down. And I don't feel so good.”

  


  


 


	30. Altered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major Endgame spoilers. But hey, if you haven't seen it by now...

“Can you not take the curves like a bat out of hell?” Darcy complained as she held her head. “You drive like a damned maniac.”

“Sorry, Ms. Lewis. Peggy complains about it too.”

Darcy narrowed her eyes, “So you DO know me. I'm not just some crazy waitress from the bar?”

“Did you want me to tell my wife that I read about you in a SHIELD file on Thor, twenty years from now?”

“Um...yes?” Darcy stared over at Steve. “And seriously, what the hell? Are you and Bucky doing a Benjamin Button thing? Because you're like a couple of decades older than the last time I saw you....and yet....” She gestured to the world going by outside the car window. “What year is it anyway?”

“It's 1992,” he said quietly.

“Is this a universe where it's always 1992?”

“What?” Steve furrowed his brows and then glanced over at her. “No.”

“Don't look at me like I'm crazy. It's an actual thing. I went to a world where it's always the 1930s.”

“You went... “ Steve stopped and let out a sigh, “what are you talking about?”

“Dimension hopping.” She settled back in the seat and started rubbing Gretel's ears. “That's how I got here. My cat is actually an inter-dimensional being capable of transporting me to parallel worlds. And she can time travel. But she can be a little too literal.”

“So you're telling me that you're from the future and from an alternate timeline and you were brought here by your cat?” Steve paused and then said under his breath, “That's actually not the weirdest thing I've ever heard.”

“So what's your story, Steve-o? You read my file in 2012 and now you're in 1992? And you're older?”

Steve was thinking so hard that Darcy could almost hear the wheels turning. His carefully chosen words were, “After I returned the Infinity Stones, I made a choice.”

“You always do that.” Darcy smirked. She elaborated when he shot her a questioning look, “Go way cryptic when you know you fucked up.”

“I chose to stay in the past. Marry Peggy. Save Bucky from HYDRA. Live a normal life.”

“You chose to create a parallel timeline,” Darcy nodded. “Got it.”

“No, I changed the future.”

“Sorry. Nope. You created an alternate timeline, pal. The original one you came from is probably still moving right along.”

Steve sat silently, pretending to concentrate on his driving.

“What did you mean about the stones? Is that how you defeated Thanos? By stealing the Infinity Stones?” She asked, mostly to keep him from stewing.

“Yeah.”

“And when you said you 'took them back' I'm guessing you mean that you went back in time and put them back from where and when you stole them?”

Steve nodded.

“That's one way to do it.”

“How'd you do it?” he snapped.

“Me? I didn't do anything. I was trapped in the Soul Stone. But Tony and Fitz built a device that allowed Nat to project a hologram back in time to send a message.”

“So you created a parallel universe too?” he accused.

“Actually, we created a time loop. At least that's what Strange calls it.” Guilt was written all over Steve's face. And Darcy felt kind of bad about it, “Listen, I'm sorry that I dropped that bomb on you about the parallel timeline thing. I figured you knew.”

“Banner warned us. But I... I thought maybe that I could change things. Save my friend. Instead, it turns out that I abandoned him.”

“It's not like you're his only friend, Steve.”

Steve shrugged. “Sam and Shuri.”

“And Nat and Daisy and Kate and Tony and...me?”

Steve gave his head a small shake.

“Does your Bucky even know me? Not this one. Not here. The one from the other timeline?”

“No. He doesn't. He was under HYDRA's control. Then in Wakanda. Then...gone for five years.”

“Five years?” Darcy breathed out.

“Let me guess. In your world, it took five minutes to undo the snap?”

“A year. But with the loop... we just prevented it from happening. Clint killed Thanos before he got Vision's stone. Clint and Kate.”

Steve sighed again. “Clint. Of course, it was the guy with no powers.”

“I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have told you any of this. Where are we going anyway?”

“Nowhere. Just driving.”

Darcy sat thinking for a minute. “It's 2019 in my universe. In 2019 in yours, you were still dealing with the decimation?”

“Yeah.”

“Gwen and Peter went to a world where the snap hadn't been undone yet. I wonder if it's the same one. My evil nemesis came from that world,” she mused out loud.

“You don't seem like someone who would have a nemesis.”

“I totally have a nemesis, Stevie,” Darcy smiled. “So if I went to that world, but five years in the future, I could take her back to make her face a trial for the murder of her counterpart. I mean, she left the body in your world. There's got to be tons of evidence. The bitch isn't exactly subtle. Stevie, you're a genius!”

“Um. Thanks?”

“So...I'm about to disappear. Just so you know. Don't wreck the car or anything. Okay?”

“You're gonna disappear?”

Darcy held up her cat and looked into her clear green eyes, “Gretel baby, take me to your daddy.”

* * *

  
  


Darcy stood in the doorway to her bedroom, with Gretel in her arms, watching Bucky sleep. She didn't get to do this often. She was usually beside him, and when she wasn't... well he was so hyper-aware of everything that he would awaken at the slightest sound.

He stirred slightly and his brows furrowed in his sleep. Gretel jumped out of her arms and settled onto Bucky's chest, purring so loud that Darcy was surprised that it didn't shake the whole Tower.

He mumbled, “Darcy said I don't have to.”

Unable to resist being next to him for a second longer, Darcy climbed in next to him and kissed his forehead. “You tell them, babe.”

He turned onto his side, trapping their cat between them, but he didn't wake. Darcy closed her eyes and listened to his breathing and Gretel's purring. But she couldn't sleep. She had a plan brewing.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	31. Welcomed

Darcy stayed awake for hours, listening to Bucky breathing and Gretel purring. She practiced telling Bucky about her plan in her head. Over and over. Countering every argument that she expected him to make. Finally, she let her eyes drift closed. Home, safe in her bed.

She was awakened by kisses feathered all over her face. When her eyes fluttered open she was greeted with a smile. “Mornin' Sassy. Welcome home.”

“You sure it's really me?” She stretched and yawned, “I could be a doppelganger. Or maybe I have a photostatic veil on.”

“Nope,” He kissed the palm of her hand and then kissed his way up her arm. “I know every curve of your body. Every inch of your skin. Your voice. Your smell. Your taste. No one could fool me,” he said huskily, nipping at her ear.

“Excuse me? I don't smell.”

“You do. Like vanilla and brown sugar.”

“Babe,” she giggled, “that was way lame.”

“And no one gives me more crap than you do,” Bucky laughed. He flopped onto his back. “I was trying to be romantic.”

“Bullshit!” Darcy climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. “You were going for seductive. Not romantic.”

“What's the difference?”

“Romantic is 'Babe, I love you and would do anything for you'. Seductive is 'I'm gonna try and sweet talk you out of your pants'.”

“I _would_ do anything for you. And you aren't wearing pants,” he grinned and slid his hands up her thighs. “Just one of my old t-shirts, as usual.”

Darcy shrugged and admitted. “I missed you. Missed the way your shirts smell.”

“Way lame,” he parroted back at her.

“Not lame,” she protested, “Sappy and romantic.” She thought that would earn her a grin. But she got a look of pure desire instead.

“C'mere,” he demanded, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her down to his waiting kiss.

“Yours,” she whispered.

It was amazing how something so familiar could be so arousing. His taste and scent were overwhelming. And he was right, she could never mistake him for anyone else. Not even his own doppelgangers. She knew how every touch would affect him. What sounds he would make. The way his breathing would change. She knew how they would fit together and how to drive him crazy. It was intoxicating.

Later, when they were tangled up in both the sheets and each other she asked, “Tell the truth. Do you really think you can tell me apart from my counterparts?”

“Honestly?”

“Honestly. No bullshit about the way I smell.”

“What I said was true. I know you. Even your doppelgangers in other worlds aren't the same as my Darcy. I'd know you anywhere.”

“And?” she asked.

“And,” he admitted, “I'm pretty sure that you're the only Darcy that comes with her own inter-dimensional puddy-tat.”

It was the perfect opportunity to tell him about her plan. She just had to proceed carefully. “She brought me straight home when I asked. No detours. She's getting pretty good at her inter-dimensional trips. And so am I. I don't even feel a little bit wobbly anymore.”

“I'm truly happy for you. But no more. Right?”

“Actually... I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Bucky cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I have a plan.”

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” He closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

“It's a good plan, I promise.”

“Darlin, you're as smart as a whip. I have no doubt that whatever plan you may have is a good one. But it also is probably gonna give me an ulcer. Isn't it?”

“You want me to lie and say it won't?”

“What's the plan?”

* * *

  


“It's a good plan,” Natasha nodded in approval.

Steve looked less convinced, “You're on board with this?” he asked Bucky.

“In a matter of speaking,” Bucky admitted.

They had foregone the full staff meeting in favor of the four of them discussing the matter over breakfast. Monica couldn't stay locked up in the Avenger's holding cells forever. She needed to be tried for her crimes. And they couldn't try her in this world, because the Monica that had belonged in it was a good person. It wouldn't be fair to her loved ones to let a criminal assume her identity and face trial. And they couldn't return her to her world in 2019 because it was still reeling from the snap. She wouldn't face justice there.

“What's that mean? A matter of speaking?” Darcy protested.

“It means, I'm modifying your plan.”

She opened and shut her mouth to protest.

“Modify it how?” Steve asked.

“Darcy wants to use Gretel to travel to Monica's original world, but five years in the future, after everyone who was snapped away has come back. She'll leave Monica there to face trial and Darcy will come back home.”

“That's the plan,” Darcy confirmed.

“There's just one thing,” Bucky explained, “Gretel has never taken more than one person on an inter-dimensional trip at a time. We need to make sure she can before we let you and Monica go.”

“I still don't get why it has to be Darcy,” Steve asked. “It would make more sense for someone equipped to handle a prisoner to go. No offense.”

“None taken,” Darcy shrugged.

“Darcy is the most attuned to Gretel. It needs to be her,” Bucky admitted. “But I think we need to do a dry run. You and me, Darce. We go to that world, five years into the future, and make sure it goes right. Then, you can take Monica there.”

“Do you have a time frame in mind?” Natasha asked.

“Up to Darcy. I'd rather wait a bit, enjoy having her home. But if having Monica here is too upsetting we can go now.” He turned to her, “Whatever you need, darlin.”

“I need to get her gone. I've let her have too much power over my life. I want to do this like, yesterday.”

“All right then. Let's do this.”

“Wait, now?” Steve asked, stunned.

“Now,” Bucky said, taking Darcy into his arms. “Stevie, can you grab Gretel for us?”

Natasha snorted at the sight of Steve holding the cat out far away from his body, while he muttered, “please don't transport me anywhere.”

“Jesus, Steve, she's not a bomb!” Natasha laughed.

“She could be! We don't know.”

Steve deposited the cat in Darcy's arms, while Bucky held onto them both. “All right, Sassy. Let's do this.”

  


  


  


  


  


  
  


 


	32. Diverged

They materialized in the middle of a wooded area that looked familiar to Bucky but clearly didn't to Darcy. “Are we in the right place?”

“Yeah,” Bucky leaned forward and looked around, “My cabin should be there.” Bucky took a few steps forward and muttered, “What the hell happened here?”

“Babe wait...” her hand grabbed his arm just a millisecond too late.

Friday's voice called out, “Intruder alert. Intruder alert.”

Bucky sighed with annoyance and turned to see Darcy smiling way too widely, “Did you just screw up? Bucky Barnes, super soldier extraordinaire just screwed up.”

“You enjoying this?

“Yep,” Darcy admitted, popping the word with a grin.

“We will just stay here,” Bucky reasoned, “Wait for them to find us. Show that we aren't a threat.”

Still teasing, Darcy sassed, “Hmm. I'm not sure I should be listening to you.”

Bucky rolled his eyes at her. “Brat.”

Gretel hopped out of Darcy's arms with a little meep and darted into the woods. The familiar voice of Bruce Banner called out, “Hey Sam, I think we need to adjust the motion sensors. Looks like the alarm was set off by a cat. Hey sweetie.” He could almost hear Bruce picking her up.

“You sure there's no one else here?”

The voice was familiar enough that Bucky felt bold enough to call out, “Sam?”

“Barnes?” Sam stopped on a dime when he caught sight of Bucky, “When did you get your hair cut? What are you wearing?” Bucky glanced down at his blue flannel shirt and jeans and frowned. He almost protested that there was nothing wrong with what he was wearing. But instead, he heard Sam's voice drop half an octave and drip with honey as he addressed Darcy, “Well, hello there. Sam Wilson, at your service.”

“Stop that,” Bucky scolded.

“Stop what?”

“Stop flirting with my wife.”

“Your _what_?” Bruce, who had caught up, and Sam both yelled.

Darcy took a half step forward with wide eyes as she took in the visage of a half-Bruce, half-Hulk. “Holy moley, Brucie.”

Behind them, Bucky heard a pistol being cocked and his own voice growl. “Who are you?”

“I'm you. Put the gun down.”

“Not happening.”

Sam was doing a double-take, back and forth between the two versions of Bucky. “Barnes, he's not lying. He's _you_.”

“From a parallel universe. I'm Darcy. We're here to ask for some help,” Darcy offered in that perky, non-threatening way that she was so good at.

But Bucky knew that his counterpart was still pointing the gun at his girl, so he warned, “Put the gun down before I take it from you.”

The response was a sound that resembled, “Humph.”

“As hot as that would be.. let's not. Okay, babe?” Darcy reached out and fingered the sleeve of his flannel shirt.

“He's pointing a gun at you.”

“And yet, I'm not the one being all twitchy. Chill out.”

This got a barking laugh out of Sam, “Oh, I like her.”

Bruce looked fascinated, watching the two versions of Bucky. He asked excitedly, “What's the point of divergence?”

“What?” Sam asked, puzzled.

“Where did their universe branch off from ours? Or did ours branch off from theirs?”

“How would we know?” Darcy asked.

“I don't know. I just thought you might know. Curious.”

“Well. For one thing, you aren't a big cuddly professor Hulk in our universe. So, there's that,” Darcy laughed.

“Really what else?” Bruce had the biggest grin possible on his face.

Bucky wasn't quite as amused, considering his counterpart was still behind them. “We'll tell you when he stops pointing a gun at my wife.”

“Hey,” Darcy elbowed Bucky in the ribs. “I said to chill out.” Darcy turned and faced Bucky's counterpart, her hands still up in the air. As soon as their eyes met, the gun began to lower and her hands did too.

“Hi,” Darcy said softly.

“Hi,” he said back, equally softly.

“I'm Darcy.”

“Bucky.”

“Yeah. I know,” she gave him a soft smile, the kind that was usually just reserved for him.

Finally, Bucky's counterpart dragged his eyes off of Darcy and onto Bucky's face. “Jesus. You _are_ me.”

Darcy smiled at Bucky's counterpart again. “Thanks for putting the gun away. Can we talk?”

He nodded and gestured for Darcy to lead the way.

A few steps behind them, Bucky warned Sam with a smile, “Stop gawking at me, Birdbrain.”

“You're wearing blue. And you're married. _Married_.”

Bucky let out a laugh.

“You're laughing and smiling. It's bizarre.”

“Of course I'm smiling. You met my wife, right?”

“She's something else,” Sam admitted.

“Oh and Bruce?” Darcy warned as she led the group out of the woods, “Don't wish you are anywhere else while you're holding our cat. Gretel is a flerken.”

“She's a what?”

* * *

 

“Hey,” Darcy said softly as she approached the bench where Bucky's counterpart sat alone.

“Hi. I can...” he gestured as if he was going to leave.

“No. Don't be dumb. You don't have to leave because I'm here.”

Bucky nodded. “You work out your plan?”

“Yep. Now they're over there gossiping.”

“Hmm,” he kept his eyes averted from her. When he did look at her, she was struck by how sad his eyes were.

“I think I met your Steve,” Darcy offered, “I got stuck in his reality for a bit. The one he created.”

“He thought he could change the past. I told him to try.” He sighed, “Was he happy?”

“I think so. Until I ruined it for him and told him that he hadn't really changed anything. Just created a parallel timeline.”

“He came back yesterday. Gave Sam the shield.”

Darcy pursed her lips in annoyance at Steve's counterpart. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't want it,” he shook his head a little.

“That's not what I meant. I'm sorry that you guys didn't get to fight side by side like some comrades in arms or whatever.”

“Sick of fighting anyway.” They sat in silence a few beats before Bucky nodded his head towards the table where Bruce, Sam, and her Bucky were talking. “Does he? Fight side by side with Steve?”

“Actually... not often. They're on different teams. Apparently, Steve said that Bucky was too much of a mother hen to actually let him have any fun. That's how he put it too. He never let him have any fun.”

She had hoped to get a smile. But instead, she only got a slight twitch in one corner of the mouth. “Punk is reckless. Always has been.”

“Still is.”

“So who does he fight with? Who's his team?”

“My Bucky? Um, Charlie team is him, Sam, Daisy, and Kate. Beta is Steve's team. So that's Rhodey, Hope and Natasha.” Bucky was watching her expectantly, so she continued. “Bobbie leads Delta team. That's her and Hunter, the Maximoffs and Vis. And Tony's team is, of _course_ , Alpha team. And that's him and Clint, Scott and Elena. And of course, there is the intergalactic team...Carol and Thor and the Guardians. And the administrative staff: May, Coulson, and Maria. And the science division. Plus Strange, T'Challa and Peter. They're not on strike teams because they have mystical gateways and kingdoms and homework.”

“That's a lot of Avengers,” he sighed and admitted, “I don't know who most of those people are.”

“That's a shame. Because they're all awesome.”

“And you? Are you an Avenger?”

“No,” Darcy shrugged, “I'm just support staff.”

“But you're on this mission.”

“That's just because we adopted an alien kitty cat.” Bucky nodded at this and then descended back into silence. Darcy pushed, “You want to ask me something, don't you?”

“I want to ask you a lot, doll.”

“Ask away.”

Bucky glanced over at her Bucky again. “He smiles a lot.”

“Not a question.”

“Is it because of you?”

“I can't take all the credit. Shuri and Fitz were super important at first. Then, just being part of the team made a big difference. I came along later.”

“His arm...?”

“Cybernetic. Designed by Fitz, Shuri, Helen, and Stark.”

“You're married?”

“Depends on who you ask. We got married in the Soul Stone. But then Natasha went back and changed the timeline..it's a whole thing.”

“Natasha?” Her name came out like a whisper.

“Please tell me you know Natasha.”

“I did.”

The gravity of those words hit Darcy like a brick. It didn't matter that her Natasha was safe in her world. “No. How?”

“She and Barton were sent after the Soul Stone. They didn't know it required a sacrifice.”

“She sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone?”

Bucky nodded.

“And then Steve put it back?”

He nodded again.

“But he didn't stay on Vormir?”

“I don't know. No.”

Darcy threw her hands up. “Well, she's just gonna kill you people. _Sam!_ ”

It was her Bucky that jumped to his feet and came running. “Darlin? Everything ok?”

“No, babe. Everything is _not_ okay. Steven Grant Rogers is an unbelievable moron.”

“No kidding,” the Bucky sitting next to her chuckled.

“Are you... smiling?” Sam asked, looking at him with disbelief.

“She's really great,” he looked up at her and she could see that Sam was right. He was smiling.

Her Bucky scowled down at him. “Yeah? Get your own!”

Darcy held her hands out between the two Buckys. “We will google my counterpart in a bit. Right now, you guys have a Natasha situation to deal with.”

Bruce's face fell. “I'm sorry Mrs. Barnes, but we lost Natasha...”

“Nope. You _stranded_ Natasha. On Vormir. When Steve put the stone back, it probably released her.”

“What?” Sam looked utterly stunned.

“How do you know this?” Bruce asked.

“We have some experience with the Soul Stone,” Darcy said.

“They got married there,” this universe's Bucky offered.

“You remember living inside the Soul Stone?” Bruce asked, endlessly fascinated.

“Bruce. Focus. Natasha is alive. And she's been living on Vormir ever since Steve put the stone back.” Darcy poked the Bruce/Hulk with each declaration.

“She's alive, Barnes,” Sam gasped, looking over at his Bucky.

“We'll send Rocket to go get her, okay?” Bucky's hand went to Sam's shoulder as Sam sat down hard on the bench.

Darcy's Bucky leaned into her and asked, “Do you get the impression we're missing something here?”

Darcy answered, “I'm getting the impression that Sam has a thing for Nat.”

“What about Daisy?” Bucky whispered.

“I don't think they _know_ Daisy.”

“I don't have a thing for Nat,” Sam protested. He took a breath and then wiped an errant tear from his cheek. “I love her, though. We've been through some shit.”

“I've got a thing for Nat,” Bruce held up his hand.

Four pairs of eyes swiveled to look at him.

“What? I do.”

* * *

 

“I'll contact T'Challa about taking your prisoner,” Sam assured Darcy. “We'll make sure she gets a fair trial.”

“Thanks, Sam. You're the best.”

“In every reality?” Sam grinned.

“Pretty much.”

A few feet away, the two Buckys were discussing weaponry. “And they're called ICERS?”

“Yep. Designed by a mechanical engineer named Leopold Fitz. I can be a part of the team without getting any blood on my hands. We all use them.”

“Leopold Fitz...” Bucky jotted the name down in a little Moleskine journal. “Thanks.”

“Dr. Jane Foster,” Darcy pointed at the book. “Write it down. That's probably how you can find the other me. Look me up, okay?”

“Maybe I will.”

“No maybes about it,” Sam promised them both. “He will definitely be looking you up.”

Her Bucky picked up Gretel and she briefly left her Bucky's side to hug the other. “Find me. Find your smile,” she whispered and kissed his cheek.

“I'll try,” he said quietly. She didn't miss how sad his eyes were when she tucked herself into her Bucky's side and mouthed a goodbye.

* * *

 

“Jesus, babe. They're a mess,” Darcy declared as she flopped down onto their living room couch.

“Tell me about it. Barton is retired and living on a farm. But only after he went on a killing spree. They don't even know half the team. And you already know what Steve did.”

Darcy couldn't get the news of Tony's sacrifice out of her head. “And poor Pepper. Poor Peter and Morgan. It's so fucking sad. And Wanda. Here she has Piet and Vis. There...”

Bucky finished her thought, “It's a goddamned mess.”

“Are you sure we should bring Monica to them?” Darcy looked up at him.

“I don't see that we have another choice.” Bucky extended his hand to pull Darcy back to her feet. “We should head down to detention. Get her out of our world.”

“There's something I want to do first.”

Bucky blinked in surprise. He was clearly expecting her to want Monica gone as soon as they got back. But he smiled and told her, “Whatever you need, Darce.”

* * *

 

As soon as the door opened, Darcy threw her arms around Tony.

“Okay. Hi.” He patted her back and then asked, “Barnes? What's with your...?”

Bucky wrapped his arms around both of them, creating an odd group hug.

“Whoa. Okay.” Tony patted Bucky's shoulder and then conceded, “This is nice, actually.”

Pepper came around the corner and saw the scene and let out a soft, “What...?”

“They like me. They really like me.”

 

 

 

 


	33. Digested

  


“I killed Thanos?” Tony smiled proudly, repeating what Bucky and Darcy had told him.

“No.” Pepper crossed her arms over her chest. “Your counterpart killed Thanos.”

Bucky and Darcy sat on the couch in Pepper and Tony's apartment watching them like a tennis match. Gretel had transported herself to the apartment to join her people and was currently lounging on Darcy's lap. Bucky was snuggling baby Morgan.

“Well, my counterpart is me... He's maybe not as _smart_ as me.”

“He killed himself with the Infinity gauntlet. He's most assuredly not as smart as you.”

“But, come on Pep. That's badass. Don't you two think it's badass?”

“I am thinking we shouldn't have told you what your counterpart did,” Darcy admitted.

“It always has bugged me that I wasn't the one to off that purple bastard. I mean little Katie Kate and Barton? _Barton?_ ”

“You built the time machine that helped Natasha go back and prevent the Snap. So in a sense...” Darcy reasoned.

“Fitz and I built the time machine together. That's not the same. It misses a sense of heroism. Maybe I could go back in time...”

“No,” Pepper said.

“But...”

“No.”

“I'm feeling a little inadequate.”

“Tony Stark,” Pepper scolded, “you have never been inadequate for one day of your life.”

“Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you know me.”

“I'm your wife, your business partner and the mother of your child. I know you better than you know yourself.”

“I need a _hero moment_ , Pepper.”

Bucky let out a little cough, “You need to change Morgan's diaper.”

“There you go, Tony. Change your daughter's diaper,” Pepper gestured towards their baby.

As Tony took his little girl from Bucky's arms he muttered, “Fine. But the next big bad is mine. Barton of all people. I mean, what's next? Is the cat gonna take out Dr. Doom?”

“We're so so sorry,” Darcy apologized to Pepper.

“Don't worry about it. He's been itching for a big battle ever since the thing with the Octobots. Just...warn Fitz to lock down that time machine.” Pepper hugged Darcy and said, “And get that dimension-hopping bitch who shot you out of my Tower.”

“Will do.”

“And finalize your damned wedding plans!”

“For god's sake, Pep,” Tony yelled from the other room. “Let them elope. Can't you tell they want to?”

“You want to elope?” Pepper asked, looking slightly stricken.

“Well. We kind of already did the wedding thing. But we don't want to disappoint anyone...” Darcy said gently.

“So if you want us to have a big wedding...” Bucky added.

“Elope! Please! Do you have any idea the logistical nightmare planning a wedding for you two has been? Even when you aren't hopping through dimensions... your maid of honor is on a space ship. A. Space. Ship. And it would be just our luck that a supervillain would crash the ceremony. And Bucky wants me to wear orange! Orange is a gross color!”

“It's the color of the soul stone...” Bucky began to protest.

“We'll elope. Or renew our vows. Whatever you want to call it.” Darcy promised.

“Wait. No wedding cake?” Tony looked stricken as he carried Morgan back into the room.

“We'll buy cupcakes or something,” Darcy smiled.

“That's acceptable,” Tony agreed. “I want to DJ your post-nuptial party.

“Karaoke,” Darcy insisted. “It's tradition.”

“Karaoke and cupcakes,” Pepper shook her head. “How elegant.”

“But it's very Darcy,” Bucky said quietly to Tony's wife.

“Yeah. It is.”

* * *

  


Bucky chalked the feeling of uneasiness he had when entering the detention area to nerves. Darcy was practically vibrating with fear and fury as they approached Monica. So much so that Gretel growled and stiffened in Darcy's arms. Bucky took the flerken from Darcy to soothe her.

“Hey Davis,” Bucky greeted. “You the only one down here?”

“Piper stepped away a second. You ready to do this?”

“Yep.”

Monica stepped out of the cell and held out her hands to receive cuffs. But Davis didn't put them on her. Instead, he swung his weapon around and pointed it at Bucky. Bucky was annoyed at himself for not noticing immediately that it was a handgun and not an ICER.

“You're not the real Davis,” he growled.

“Well, that's just mean. I'm very real.”

There was a loud thunk behind the desk and Piper emerged from behind it. She was wobbling as she stood, and had a nasty gash on her head.

“Piper?” Darcy moved to assist her friend but the fake Davis let out a noise reminding Darcy that he was holding a gun. He gestured for her to go back to Bucky's side.

Monica smiled condescendingly at Darcy, “Did you really think I didn't recruit more followers?”

“Where's the real Davis?” Bucky asked.

“If you hurt him...” Piper threatened.

“You should be more concerned with yourselves....” Monica took a pistol that the fake Davis offered her and pointed it at Darcy.

What happened next actually shocked Bucky. And he had seen it all: time travel, talking raccoons, talking trees, purple titans, whatever the hell those alien spacedogs were in Wakanda. But this...?

Gretel opened her mouth wider than was possible and purple tentacles shot out. Fake Davis and Monica were wrapped up in the tentacles and pulled into the flerken's waiting jaws.

Then, she looked up at Bucky with her big green eyes and burped like a sailor.

“What...” Bucky began.

“Did your cat just....?”

“The...”

“Gretel ate the bad lady,” Darcy mumbled.

“Hell?”

The three humans stood there staring at the cat for at least thirty seconds. She yawned a kitty yawn and then jumped out of Bucky's arms, strutting down the hallway with her tail straight up. She got to a closet door and began meowing and sticking her paws underneath.

Since Piper was the least dumbfounded, it was she that followed Gretel and opened the closet door to reveal, “Davis! He's breathing. I'm gonna call medical.”

While she was on the phone, a yellow circle of light suddenly appeared and Dr. Strange stepped out.

Darcy, who was still in shock, yelled, “Jesus!”

“Sorry, my dear, it's just me,” Strange said gently

“S'okay. We're just a little freaked out,” Darcy mumbled.

“The cat ate the mad scientist,” Piper blurted out as she hung up the phone. “Medical is on the way.”

“Ah. That explains the interdimensional disturbance Wong and I felt. She ate her?” Strange asked casually, as he moved toward the closet to assess Davis's medical condition.

“There were tentacles,” Darcy explained.

“Hmm. I wonder if she is capable of creating pocket dimensions inside her body. Neat.”

“Neat?” Piper asked.

Gretel slithered against his legs and looked up at him adoringly, “Meow?”

He picked her up and held her out in front of him, reverse Lion King style. “What the hell?”

Davis was alert and oriented by the time medical showed up. Both he and Piper protested the fact that they had to ride to medical on gurneys, but the nurses that the AI employed were used to taking crap from superheroes, so honestly, the two agents didn't stand a chance against them.

Dr. Strange gave Gretel a little ear scratch and left the way he came, leaving Darcy and Bucky alone.

“I guess we aren't traveling today, babe,” Darcy blinked a few times.

“Guess not.”

“What do you _want_ to do today?”

“City hall?”

“Then post-wedding nookie?” Darcy smiled.

“Sounds like a plan, darlin.”

* * *

 

“How's Davis?” Steve asked at the team debriefing.

Bucky sat down next to Steve. “He's gonna be fine. Piper too.”

“Thank god.”

A deep baritone greeted the group. “Hello, dumbasses!” He swept into the room with his leather coat swinging behind him.

“Fury is debriefing us?” Steve asked.

“Don't' know why. There's not much to debrief. The bad guy got eaten.” Bucky twisted his new wedding ring around his finger. He'd left Darcy asleep in bed, and he was itching to get back to her.

Fury began with very little preamble. “You fools didn't think to contact me when you found a flerken?”

“No offense, sir, but we didn't know what a flerken was,” Natasha shrugged.

“She's one of the most dangerous creatures in the universe!”

Gretel meanwhile was nudging Fury's hand, insisting that he rub her ears, purring loudly and drooling on the conference table.

“Do you have any idea what she's capable of?”

“We have a pretty good idea,” Sam smiled.

Gretel, meanwhile, had given up on Fury and was grooming the inside of her back thigh, one foot pointing straight up in the air.

“She's very dangerous.”

Gretel's tongue got stuck on a small mat that she pulled out. A small clump of hair dangled off her lip.

“I should confiscate her.”

At this, half the team stood and the other half began yelling. Threats like “Over my dead body” and “Like hell, you will!” came flooding out of the team's mouths. Even Lucky the dog contributed a woof of protest.

“I didn't say I was gonna. But I should.”

“We're handling her fine,” Bucky growled.

“She took your girlfriend on an inter-dimensional tour.”

“My wife,” Bucky corrected.

“What?”

“Darcy's my wife. We went down to city hall this morning.”

“And I wasn't invited?” Fury looked genuinely hurt.

“None of us were invited, sir,” May told him.

“You can join us for cupcakes and karaoke on Saturday. But only if you don't take Darcy's cat away from her,” Tony said, with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh, I wasn't gonna. I'm not heartless.”

Fury plucked the errant fur from Gretel's mouth and started stroking her chin. Gretel closed her eyes in appreciation. “Hi sweetheart,” he cooed. “You know I had a flerken. Her name was Goose. She was a good girl.”

Gretel made her way to Natasha, who was sitting next to the standing Fury. Nat started stroking the top of Gretel's head, making her purr louder. Steve put his arm around Nat.

Fury explained, “I just wanted to make sure you were taking care of her appropriately.”

“We are,” Bucky assured him. “And I promise, Darcy and I will try to limit any inter-dimensional travel via flerken. It wasn't much fun for us anyway.”

Natasha shrugged, “I'd bet it was better than the devices Tony made for inter-dimensional travel. I'd much rather travel via flerken.”

And just like that, Natasha and Steve disappeared.

Fury closed his eyes and muttered, “Motherfu...”

 


	34. Naked and Unafraid

  
  


“Do you think they'll be back in time for the party?” Darcy asked as she snuggled into Bucky's side. Their reception was tomorrow and Gretel still hadn't brought Steve and Natasha back from wherever she had taken them. It had been almost a week.

“They wouldn't miss it, Sassy. I'm sure they'll be back,” he assured her, with a kiss on the forehead. “We should get out of bed. It's already afternoon.”

“Stop pouncing on me and I'll get out of bed.”

“Stop looking so irresistible and I'll stop pouncing on you.”

She stretched and stood up. With a saucy glance over her shoulder, she teased, “You're a sex fiend, Barnes.”

He reached up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to the bed. “I told you, you're irresistible, Mrs. Barnes.”

They indulged in a few more soft, sensual kisses before a text alert interrupted them.

“Ignore it,” Bucky commanded.

She crawled out of bed anyway and wrapped a robe around herself before she picked up the phone.

“It's Fury.”

“He's texting you now?”

“He wants to know the second Gretel has come back. Awwww. Another picture of Goose. He put her in a little bow tie.”

“How many cat pictures has Fury sent you, anyway?”

“Lots,” Darcy admitted. “I get it though. He misses her. I miss my girl and it has only been six days.”

“They'll be back,” Bucky assured her. “I miss her fuzzy face, too.”

* * *

  
  


Bucky and Darcy had only just gotten dressed when Natasha and Steve, with Gretel, were dropped in the middle of their living room.

Gretel purred and did a drive-by of her people, snaking her body against everyone's calves before jumping into her hammock in the window.

Steve blinked and looked around while Natasha collapsed into a heap.

“Nat? Are you okay?” Darcy asked, reaching out to help her to her feet.

“Thank god you aren't having sex,” Natasha laughed and then flopped onto her back.

“It's two in the afternoon,” Darcy protested. She ignored the knowing look that Bucky shot her.

“Doesn't stop Steve. Or the Steve in the world where there are no shrimp. Or the Steve in the world where he's evil. Or the Steve in the world where he kept the sexy beard. She kept taking me to naked Steves.” With the word 'she' Natasha pointed accusingly at Gretel.

“It's not like you haven't seen naked Steve before,” Darcy reasoned, sitting down in the comfy chair. Steve and Bucky followed suit, both flopping on the couch.

“But over and over?” Nat finally sat up. “Dimension after dimension? It's just too many naked Steves.”

Steve threw up his hands, “Can we stop saying 'Naked Steve'?”

“Thank god I didn't go with you,” Bucky muttered. “No naked Natashas?”

“We got separated,” Steve said. “One minute she was there, holding Gretel, and the next... poof.”

“And the tour of naked Steves began. Stupid cat.”

“Mmm hmm,” Darcy grinned at Nat, “You know she only takes you where you want to go. So if you kept thinking of Steve in his birthday suit, then she was only being helpful.”

“Meanwhile, I got stranded in a world where Sam was my boyfriend. And you two...” he pointed at Darcy and Bucky accusingly. “were constantly going at it.”

“Verbally? Or physically?” Darcy asked, enjoying the blush on Steve's face.

“Both.”

“Was this the world where we...?” Bucky asked Nat.

“Yeah. We were there before. Also, she took us to 1930s world where you two are now engaged by the way; the world where we rescued Steve and Tony from AIM, where you two are also engaged, and General Ross is in prison; and a world where there is only shrimp, where I'm assuming shrimp Bucky and shrimp Darcy are also engaged.”

“She took you to check up on everyone? That was nice.” Darcy smiled.

Bucky asked, “Did you eventually get to the world you were supposed to be going to? To tell them that we weren't going to bring him a prisoner?”

“Because your cat ATE HER?” Steve teased.

“Eventually,” Natasha said, “And we met that world's Steve. Who, by the way, is kind of super cute as an old man.”

“And not naked,” Steve added, “Thank god. And...Nat's counterpart is mean,” Steve admitted with wide eyes.

“She's not mean.”

“She's okay, though?” Darcy wondered how any Natasha could have managed being stranded on Vormir for five years.

“She keeps hissing at people and throwing things.”

Natasha grinned as she added, “She's drawing on the walls in crayon.”

“That doesn't sound okay,” Bucky said.

Natasha waved a dismissal. “She's just getting revenge for being stranded on Vormir for five years with no one to talk to but Red Skull. It was Rocket's idea to prank them.”

“But she's not bananas?” Darcy asked.

“Nah. She's fine. Having some fun freaking them out. She's only doing it to Banner and old man Steve. And Sam. Because Sam would tell Steve it's just an epic prank. She promised she's only gonna torture them for a few days. She'll let up as soon as she sees Clint.”

“How's Bucky?” Darcy asked.

“Oh, he thinks it's hilarious,” Nat chuckled.

“That's not what I...”

Steve answered for her, “Mooning over your counterpart. Opening doors. Carrying things. It's absurd.”

“It's adorable,” Nat countered.

“I opened a door for you once. And you used a squirt gun to make a wet spot on my pants.”

“Do you have a point, Steve?” Nat sighed.

“No,” he mumbled, “just that now that I see how Sam treats my counterpart...”

Natasha crawled over to the couch, climbed into Steve's lap and kissed his chin. “When we're on a mission, no chivalry. When we're on a date, chivalry is good. And you better not try to take Sam from Daisy or she'll kick your ass. You're stuck with me.”

“I think I could take Daisy.”

Darcy, Nat, and Bucky all shook their heads and voiced, “Nope.” “No way.” “She'd kick your ass.”

* * *

  
  


“I should not be trusted in a cupcake shop.” Darcy joked. “I could eat the entire inventory.”

“I could too,” Bucky grinned, eyeballing a peanut butter concoction that looked sinful.

“With your appetite, babe? Yes, you could.” Darcy cocked her head over to the table in the corner of the cupcake shop. “Hey babe, those kids look familiar to you?”

At the table, this universe's version of Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy were arguing. “I know you think that gamma radiation is harmless, Miles, but I'm telling you, I don't like the way Oscorp is handling it. Animal experimentation is something I'm very much against.”

“They weren't animals. They were bugs.”

“It's a slippery slope. And spiders are arachnids, not bugs.”

“Leave it to you to get all worked up over a field trip,” he sighed.

“I'll be damned,” Bucky exhaled with a smile.

The cupcake shop owner brought out box after box of cupcakes for Bucky and Darcy's party.

“How many did Pepper order?” Darcy wondered out loud.

“Twelve dozen,” the owner told them with a smile. Agents Bishop and Johnson picked up some this morning. Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers picked up a couple of dozen a little while ago. They said they had been ring shopping.”

“Really?” Darcy asked with wide eyes. “I wonder for who...”

She narrowed her eyes at Bucky and demanded, “Spill. Who's the ring for? Daisy or Natasha?”

“I honestly don't know, Sassy.”

“I'll get it out of you if you do know,” she poked him gently in the ribs.

“I have no doubt.”

The cupcake shop owner handed Bucky six boxes of cupcakes and then gave Darcy one.

“You got it, Darce?

“I can carry one box of cupcakes, considering you're carrying six.”

The bell on the door let out a little ding and a man walked in wearing a French mime outfit. In his hands, he held a canvas laundry bag and a round, old cartoon style bomb. He announced with a flourish, “I am Bomb Voyage.”

“You've got to be kidding me,” Bucky closed his eyes in frustration

The villain approached the counter and told the shop owner, “Fill ze bag with ze diamonds, s'il vous plait!”

“What diamonds?” she answered back.

“Sacre bleu! Is zis not ze jewelry store?”

“Across the street,” Darcy supplied helpfully.

Bucky had been eyeballing the bomb in the villain's hand since he came in the store. It was such a minimal threat that Bucky hadn't even put down the boxes of cupcakes. “You don't know how bombs work, do you?

Insulted, the villain exclaimed, “Je m'appelle Bomb Voyage!”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Smoke bomb voyage is more like it.”

With annoyance, the bomber tossed his device at Bucky, where it settled on top of the boxes.

It let out a very soft “pfft” when it detonated. The only shrapnel was frosting, all over Bucky's face. With a sigh, Bucky sat what was left of the boxes on the counter.

The bomber used the distraction to dart out the door.

“He's getting away!” Miles said, pointing at the escaping villain.

“Gotta go to work?” Darcy smiled up at Bucky.

“Nope,” Bucky handed his ICER to Darcy, “Go get em Sassy.”

“Seriously?”

“Go. He's getting away. I'll meet you at the Tower so I can get cleaned up.”

“Don't you dare,” Darcy swiped some frosting off of Bucky's chin and popped it into her mouth, “Post mission nookie will be awfully tasty.”

“Go,” he laughed, swatting her playfully on the bottom, “Get the bad guy.”

He watched from the door as Darcy chased the mad bomber down the street.

A soft, male voice asked, “Excuse me are you Agent Barnes?”

“That depends,” Bucky turned to Miles, “Are you evil?

“I'm...fourteen.”

“Hi. I'm Gwen Stacy, and this is my friend Miles Morales.” She stuck out her hand to be shaken, “We saw that Mr. Stark was offering a few intern positions for students and...”

“You're hired. But if you turn out to be evil, we're gonna have words. Okay?”

Miles nodded with a drawn-out, “Oh kay”

“Could you kids grab the cupcakes? What's left of 'em anyway. I'll take you to meet Pepper.”

“You mean, you'll take us to Tony Stark,” Gwen corrected.

“Nah, honey. Trust me. You want to meet Pepper.”

They exited the shop just as Darcy shot Bomb Voyage with the ICER. She did a little victory dance, making Bucky chuckle with affection. He yelled out to her, “That's my girl! Now, carry him to the Tower.”

“Ha! That's your job, Bucky Bear!”

* * *

  
  


Miles was holding more boxes of cupcakes than he probably could handle, but Gwen knew he wouldn't ask for help. It was against his nature. She knew that it was up to her to reach out. She had to prod him to approach Agent Barnes at all. And even then, Miles probably would have just asked for an autograph if she hadn't been there. The red spider bite on his hand was looking angrier with each passing minute. Absently, Gwen rubbed the spider bite on her own hand.

Gwen watched with a smile as Agent Barnes tossed an ICED Bomb Voyage over his shoulder.

Darcy Lewis reached up and took a finger full of frosting off of his cheek and popped it into his mouth.

“I love peanut butter,” she heard him declare.

With a smile, Darcy beckoned them to hurry along. Darcy and Bucky were going to be the way for Gwen to get to the Avengers. After all, she was going to need their help.

  
  


  
  


END

  
  


 


End file.
